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

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

Conjugated Forms

Present

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

Past

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

Future

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

Lululemon also agreed to bring aboard another director with expertise in apparel by Oct.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 4, 2026

The company noted growth across its consumables, seasonal, apparel and home-products categories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026

Tariff-sensitive categories like apparel and household furnishings are also still climbing.

From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026

Drag queen Pattie Gonia is asking fans for help fighting Patagonia, the popular outdoor apparel and gear company, which has sued the outspoken environmental activist for trademark infringement.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

Only my damp and bemired apparel; in which I had slept on the ground and fallen in the marsh.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Related Words

• dress
• equipment
• garment
• gear