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In the 14th century, if someone told you that you had flair (or flayre as it was then commonly spelled), you might very well take offense. This is because in Middle English flayre meant "an odor." The word is derived from the Old French verb flairier ("to give off an odor"), which came, in turn, from Late Latin flagrare, itself an alteration of fragrare. (The English words fragrant and fragrance also derive from fragrare.) The "odor" sense of flair fell out of use, but in the 19th century, English speakers once again borrowed flair from the French—this time (influenced by the Modern French use of the word for the sense of smell) to indicate a discriminating sense or instinctive discernment.
Examples of flair in a Sentence
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
The landscape is full of dramatic green mountains plunging into wild coastline, fishing villages painted in candy colors, and cider houses where locals pour from great heights with theatrical flair.
—Nigel Hack, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
The star at the center of Molina’s universe is Ingrid Luna, a Rita Hayworth-type bombshell whose ice blonde tresses cannot gloss over her Latin flair.
—Blythe Marks, Them., 17 Oct. 2025
Brought to life by Chinese designer Xiong Miao for Pop Mart, Skullpandas have an edgier, darker, and more mysterious flair.
—Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 16 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flair
Cite this Entry
“Flair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flair. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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flair
noun
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