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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
Christian Allaire, Vogue, 9 Feb. 2026
The Tanming 2-piece Long-sleeve Knit Set is easy to dress up or down since the pants are designed with a gentle flair that pairs well with sandals, heels, sneakers, and everything in between, plus the top can be worn with the accompanying pants or your favorite pair of trousers or jeans.
—Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 9 Feb. 2026
Radio City Music Hall is all Art Deco flair and exuberance with miles of neon atop the marquee.
—Christopher Robbins, Curbed, 9 Feb. 2026
Musshoe Suede Bowknot Ballet Flats To add a bit of feminine flair to your winter-to-spring wardrobe, try out these faux suede ballet flats, which feature a large bowknot on top.
—Isabel Bekele, InStyle, 9 Feb. 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 15 Feb. 2026.
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flair
noun
