Apparel Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms apparel American [uh-par-uhl] / əˈpær əl /

noun

1. clothing, especially outerwear; garments; attire; raiment.

   Synonyms: vesture, costume, garb, dress, clothes

2. anything that decorates or covers.

3. superficial appearance; aspect; guise.

4. Nautical. the masts, sails, anchor, etc., used to equip a vessel.

5. Ecclesiastical. a piece of embroidery, usually oblong, on certain vestments, especially on the alb or amice.

verb (used with object)

appareled, appareling, apparelled, apparelling

1. to dress or clothe.

   Synonyms: array, outfit

2. to adorn; ornament.

3. Nautical. to equip (a vessel) with apparel.

apparel British / əˈpærəl /

noun

1. something that covers or adorns, esp outer garments or clothing

2. nautical a vessel's gear and equipment

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

1. archaic (tr) to clothe, adorn, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

• overappareled adjective
• unappareled adjective
• well-appareled adjective
• well-apparelled adjective

Etymology

Origin of apparel

1200–50; Middle English appareillen < Old French apareillier to make fit, fit out < Vulgar Latin *appariculāre, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + *paricul ( us ) a fit ( par 1 -cule 1 ) + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive suffix

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.

India's apparel export promotion council projects that the UK trade deal could help double garment exports to Britain over the next three years.

From Barron's

The ISM PMI tracks apparel, wood products, chemicals, plastics, fabricated metals, and primary metals, among others.

From Barron's

Las Vegas-based Total Promotion Company has struggled this year with tariffs on the imports it needs to make promotional merchandise, including apparel, pens and bags, largely for small- to midsize businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal

Electronics and apparel are hot gifts, while home decor and home improvement remain tepid.

From The Wall Street Journal

Spars herself is the proud owner of a Baggu x Peanuts earbuds case and is regularly gifted Snoopy apparel and accessories.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dress
• equipment
• garment
• gear

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.