El"e*gant (?), a. [L. elegans, -antis; akin to eligere to pick out, choose, select: cf. F. élégant. See Elect.]
1. Very choice, and hence, pleasing to good taste; characterized by grace, propriety, and refinement, and the absence of every thing offensive; exciting admiration and approbation by symmetry, completeness, freedom
from blemish, and the like;
graceful; tasteful and highly attractive; as, elegant manners; elegant style of composition; an elegant speaker; an elegant structure.
A more diligent cultivation of elegant literature.
Prescott.
2. Exercising a nice choice; discriminating beauty
or sensitive to beauty; as,
elegant taste.
Syn. --
Tasteful; polished; graceful; refined; comely; handsome; richly ornamental.
Hear it pronounced