esprit

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

ESPRIT, France — While few people question mandatory helmets in professional cycling and sunglasses are unlikely to disappear any time soon, the combination has an unfortunate side effect.

From New York Times • Jul. 16, 2016

Before proceeding, it might be well to examine more closely what is meant by ESPRIT.

From Laughter : an Essay on the Meaning of the Comic by Brereton, Cloudesley Shovell Henry

He was a statesman, a BEL ESPRIT, a virtuoso, and a connoisseur.

From The Diary of Samuel Pepys by Braybrooke, Richard Griffin, Baron

But if they wrote badly and spelled badly, they had an abundance of that delicate combination of intellect and wit which the French call ESPRIT.

From The Women of the French Salons by Mason, Amelia Ruth Gere

Let us first make a distinction between the two meanings of the word wit ESPRIT, the broader one and the more restricted.

From Laughter : an Essay on the Meaning of the Comic by Brereton, Cloudesley Shovell Henry