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.

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verb (used with object)

apparels, present (3rd person singular) appareled, past participle, past apparelled, past participle, past appareling, present participle apparelling present participle

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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have appareled
  perfect
• have apparelled
  perfect
• has apparelled
  perfect 3rd person singular
• has appareled
  perfect 3rd person singular
• are appareling
  progressive
• has been appareling
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been apparelling
  perfect progressive
• has been apparelling
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been appareling
  perfect progressive
• am appareling
  progressive 1st person singular
• is appareling
  progressive 3rd person singular
• am apparelling
  progressive 1st person singular
• apparels
  singular 3rd person
• appareling
  participle
• are apparelling
  progressive
• is apparelling
  progressive 3rd person singular
• apparelling
  participle

Past

• had apparelled
  perfect
• had appareled
  perfect
• had been apparelling
  perfect progressive
• had been appareling
  perfect progressive
• was appareling
  progressive singular
• were apparelling
  progressive plural
• appareled
  simple
• was apparelling
  progressive singular
• were appareling
  progressive plural
• appareled
  participle
• apparelled
  simple
• apparelled
  participle

Future

• will apparel
  simple
• will have apparelled
  perfect
• will have appareled
  perfect
• will be appareling
  progressive
• will have been apparelling
  perfect progressive
• will be apparelling
  progressive
• will have been appareling
  perfect progressive

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 ( see par ¹ -cule ¹) + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive suffix

Explanation

Apparel is just another word for what you wear. Hopefully the apparel you wear to work — suits and heels — is very different from the apparel you wear on the weekends — pajama pants and bunny slippers. The noun apparel got its start from the Latin apparare, meaning to “prepare, make ready,” or ad-particulare, meaning “to put things together.” In the mid 13th century it evolved into a verb meaning “to equip.” It wasn’t until the next century that people began to use apparel as both a verb meaning “to attire” and as a noun meaning garments or clothing. Said 17th century British writer Thomas Fuller, “…Apparel shapes: but it's money that finishes the man.”

Example Sentences

A year ago, on June 6, federal agents descended on Ambiance Apparel, detaining dozens of workers in one of the largest workplace immigration enforcement actions Southern California had seen in years.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026

Apparel sales generally suffer in the face of high gas prices, according to Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor at Circana.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

Apparel stocks look particularly appealing against that backdrop.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Patent and Trademark Office notified Nike of its decision with a letter of refusal earlier this week, citing “likelihood of confusion” with an already-registered mark by the Back9 Golf Apparel company.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

I'm applying this fall for the Fiber Science and Apparel Design program at Cornell.

From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins

Related Words

• dress
• equipment
• garment
• gear