Ornament Definition & Meaning

American

British

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms ornament American [awr-nuh-muhnt, awr-nuh-ment, -muhnt] / ˈɔr nə mənt, ˈɔr nəˌmɛnt, -mənt /

noun

1. an accessory, article, or detail used to beautify the appearance of something to which it is added or of which it is a part.

   architectural ornaments.

   Synonyms: embellishment

2. a system, category, or style of such objects or features; ornamentation.

   a book on Gothic ornament.

3. any adornment or means of adornment.

   Synonyms: decoration

4. a person or thing that adds to the credit or glory of a society, era, etc.

5. the act of adorning.

   Synonyms: decoration

6. the state of being adorned.

7. mere outward display.

   a speech more of ornament than of ideas.

8. Chiefly Ecclesiastical. any accessory, adjunct, or equipment.

9. Music. a tone or group of tones applied as decoration to a principal melodic tone.

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish with ornaments; embellish.

   to ornament a musical composition.

   Synonyms: grace , adorn , decorate

2. to be an ornament to.

   Several famous scientists were acquired to ornament the university.

   Synonyms: grace , adorn , decorate

ornament British

noun

1. anything that enhances the appearance of a person or thing

2. decorations collectively

   she was totally without ornament

3. a small decorative object

4. something regarded as a source of pride or beauty

5. music any of several decorations, such as the trill, mordent, etc, occurring chiefly as improvised embellishments in baroque music

"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. to decorate with or as if with ornaments

2. to serve as an ornament to

"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

• ornamentation noun
• ornamenter noun
• overornament verb (used with object)
• reornament verb (used with object)
• superornament noun

Etymology

Origin of ornament

1175–1225; < Latin ornāmentum equipment, ornament, equivalent to ornā ( re ) to equip + -mentum -ment; replacing Middle English ornement < Old French < Latin, as above

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.

Iacoboni is fairly crafty, she said, so handmade ornaments are an option if there is time.

From The Wall Street Journal

Archaeologists have recovered thousands of clay-fired cooking balls and materials brought from faraway regions, such as quartz crystal from Arkansas, soapstone from the Atlanta area, and copper ornaments originating near the Great Lakes.

From Science Daily

As she writes, carved surface ornament occupies a “space between architecture and sculpture” that has been neglected by historians of both disciplines.

From The Wall Street Journal

Credit Disneyland for embracing the guest-driven activity, so much so that the park started developing Life Day ornaments and shirts as well as offering limited time food specials.

From Los Angeles Times

Voters have been lured with everything from television sets to bicycles and sometimes even gold ornaments - blurring the fine line between welfare economics and pre-poll populism.

From BBC

Related Words

• accessory
• adornment
• art
• bauble
• embroidery
• flower
• jewel
• knickknack
• treasure
• trinket

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.