embellishment

[em-bel-ish-muhnt]

noun

1. an ornament or decoration.

2. a fictitious addition, as to a factual statement.

3. Music.

   1. ornament.

   2. auxiliary tone.

4. the act of embellishing.

5. state of being embellished.

Other Word Forms

• nonembellishment noun
• overembellishment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of embellishment¹

First recorded in 1615–25; embellish + -ment

Example Sentences

While its charm lies in its refusal of precise definition, junk journaling generally consists of compiling scrap items and keepsakes into curated notebooks, which can also contain personal musings, ornamental stickers and other embellishments.

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This reflects a growing interest that has driven demand for custom-made outfits with bold designs and unique embellishments.

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However, what all these different iterations share stylistically, regardless of whatever embellishments surround the Buddha, is a sense of stable, enduring calm at the core.

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“Swan Lake” has become so familiar that modern embellishments become just a lot more baggage.

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One side, carved in about AD250, reveals the Buddha in human form with intricate embellishments, while on the other - carved earlier in about 50-1BC - he's represented symbolically through a tree, an empty throne and footprints.

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Related Words

• adornment 
• coloring 
• embroidery 
• ornamentation