Enthusiastic and energetic style or vigor, especially in how someone does something or approaches a challenge.
From French élan, derived from élancer meaning 'to dart forward' or 'to hurl,' from Latin elanceare. It originally meant the act of rushing forward and evolved to mean the spirited energy behind such movement.
The French word élan perfectly captures something English speakers struggled with—that particular kind of confident swagger and enthusiasm combined. Napoleon's armies were said to have élan, and it's one of the few French words that's permanently borrowed into English!
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