English 'elegant' comes from Latin 'elegāns' (choice, tasteful), from 'ēligere' (to pick out), from 'legere' (to gather, choose, read), from PIE *leǵ- (to gather) — meaning that elegance is etymologically the quality of one who chooses with discrimination.
Graceful and stylish in appearance or manner; pleasingly ingenious and simple.
From Latin 'elegantem' (accusative of 'elegāns'), meaning 'choice, fine, tasteful,' originally the present participle of 'ēligere' (to pick out, to choose), from 'ex-' (out) + 'legere' (to gather, to choose, to read), from PIE *leǵ- (to gather, to collect). The underlying meaning is 'having the quality of one who chooses carefully' — taste as the exercise of discriminating selection. In Republican Latin, 'elegāns' carried connotations of refined judgment in speech and manners
The Latin root 'legere' (to gather, to choose, to read) connects an astonishing range of English words: 'elegant' (choosing well), 'elect' (chosen out), 'collect' (gathered together), 'lecture' (a reading), 'legend' (something to be read), 'legible' (able to be read), 'lesson' (something read), and 'intelligence' (reading between). Reading was originally 'choosing' — picking out meaning from marks.
Words closest in meaning, ranked by similarity