fabric

American  

[fab-rik] / ˈfæb rɪk /

noun

• fabrics
  plural

1. a cloth made by weaving, knitting, or felting fibers.

   woolen fabrics.

2. the texture of the woven, knitted, or felted material.

   cloth of a soft, pliant fabric.

3. framework; structure.

   the fabric of society.

4. a building; edifice.

5. the method of construction.

6. the act of constructing, especially of a church building.

7. the maintenance of such a building.

8. Petrography. the spatial arrangement and orientation of the constituents of a rock.

---

fabric British  

/ ˈfæbrɪk /

noun

1. any cloth made from yarn or fibres by weaving, knitting, felting, etc

2. the texture of a cloth

3. a structure or framework

   the fabric of society

4. a style or method of construction

5. rare a building

6. the texture, arrangement, and orientation of the constituents of a rock

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• fabrics
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of fabric

1475–85; (< Middle French fabrique ) < Latin fabrica craft, especially metalworking or building, workshop. See forge ¹

---

Explanation

Fabric is what something is made from, especially clothing. Silk is a common fabric, but you can also talk about "the fabric of society." The most common use of fabric is for clothes: for example, denim is the fabric used to make jeans. All clothes are made of some type or combination of fabrics. The basic structure of a building or a vehicle can also be called fabric, and non-physical things can be represented as fabric too. Metaphorically, you could say honesty is part of the fabric of friendship, or love is part of the fabric of family. Fabric is always the foundation or essence of something.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

fabric fabrics

What was missing was the vast fabric of ordinary facts and observations that humans acquire and use almost subconsciously and without which life would be unintelligible — what Lenat termed “common sense.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026

Gravitational waves are ripples in the fabric of space and time.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 1, 2026

Residents in Maine's frontier towns express worry that the tariffs have also triggered a rupture in cross-border relationships built up over decades, and that the intricate community fabric could take years to repair.

From Barron's ● Oct. 26, 2026

"They even sent bits of fabric so he could get it right," Ken added.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Between the skin change and the fabric and Isadora’s smile, he felt like his brain had glitched.

From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste

But she has a very specific aim - to unearth fabrics and clothing that she can salvage and refashion into new items, some of which she then sells.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

Millie, 36, began bin diving after spotting some fabrics discarded by a business that had shut down.

From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026

New research is challenging the assumptions that fabrics such as cotton and wool pose no health risks and don’t shed.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

On Sunday, just outside the fenced-off green space, street vendors were selling everything from African fabrics to soap.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026

By the time we covered the walls and windows of the Clark Street room with dark fabrics and draperies, nary a ray of sunlight could penetrate inside.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• fiber
• goods
• textile
• texture

---