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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
Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 6 Mar. 2025
This two day conference will have more of an institutional flair.
—Aaron Stanley, Forbes, 6 Mar. 2025
Unlike Martha Stewart’s quasi-stern advice for at-homebodies, With Love, Meghan, doesn’t give you new tips, new household solutions, a new flair with guests.
—Raven Smith, Vogue, 5 Mar. 2025
Doja Cat made her Oscars red carpet debut on Sunday, bringing wild flair to the 2025 Academy Awards.
—Renan Botelho, WWD, 2 Mar. 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 15 Mar. 2025.
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flair
noun
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