Elegant \El"e*gant\, a. [L. elegans, -antis; akin to eligere to pick out, choose, select: cf. F. ['e]l['e]gant. 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.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)