Skip to main content

je ne sais quoi

Verified French in English Society & ideas
je ne sais quoi
je ne sais quoi

Definition

An appealing quality that is hard to describe precisely.

From French je ne sais quoi.

Merriam-Webster records circa 1656 for this headword. The date refers to the dictionary’s recorded sense, which may differ from the meaning illustrated here. See the dictionary entry.

Example of use

The little café had a certain je ne sais quoi.

Historical attestation

circa 1656

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/je%20ne%20sais%20quoi

Report a sighting

Have you encountered this word? Report where you saw or heard it.

je ne sais quoi
We’ll send you a link to confirm your sighting.
Where did you encounter this word?
Where did you encounter this word?
When did you encounter this word? (Past 12 months)
Link to the source if available (article, post, etc.)
How was the word used? (Up to 500 characters)

Similar words