clothing
Americannoun
-
garments collectively
-
something that covers or clothes
Etymology
Origin of clothing
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; clothe + -ing 1
Compare meaning
How does clothing compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Clothing is what your wear, like sweaters, shirts, pants, dresses, and so on. Your favorite piece of clothing might be your purple polka dotted tights. Clothing is made of fabric and covers our bodies, keeps them warm or protects them from the sun, insects, sharp rocks and thorns, and other hazards. In some situations, clothing keeps people safe, as when medical workers wear scrubs, gloves, and masks to protect themselves and patients from infection. Often clothing reflects your personal values or religion, like a Muslim woman's hijab that covers her hair. The Old English root is claþ, "cloth or woven material."
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.
The Bezos Earth Fund grants aim to address longstanding concerns about greenhouse gas emissions and pollution from clothing companies.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
The man, a stylist specialised in traditional Chinese clothing and make-up, had posted photos of himself in costume on the Instagram-like Xiaohongshu app.
From Barron's • Apr. 24, 2026
Lennick started to produce her own - food-themed, naturally - and sales online quickly outpaced that of her clothing.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
The Plus Bus also got national attention, getting acknowledged in an episode of “Hacks” as well as featured in an episode of Avery Trufelman’s “Articles of Interest” podcast about clothing.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
And even though the day was cold, some of them wore almost no clothing, just pieces of rags.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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.
