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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
Sharyn Alfonsi, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026
Brass Boer offers an elegant seaside dining experience with Caribbean flair.
—Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 4 Jan. 2026
Going forward, Chinese brands will be increasingly known globally for their design and aesthetic flair.
—Shuli Ren, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
Set within the sprawling Canouan Estate—which also includes the Mandarin Oriental and Canouan Estate Resort & Villas—the 40-room property exudes tropical flair, with an easy beach-club energy and Soho House’s characteristically fashionable crowd.
—Annie Daly, Vogue, 3 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flair
Cite this Entry
“Flair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flair. Accessed 6 Jan. 2026.
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flair
noun
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