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Synonyms

garment

American  
[gahr-muhnt] / ˈgɑr mənt /

noun

  • garments
    plural
  1. any article of clothing.

    dresses, suits, and other garments.

    Synonyms:
    costume, dress, garb, apparel, attire
  2. an outer covering or outward appearance.


verb (used with object)

  1. to clothe, dress, or cover.

garment British  
/ ˈɡɑːmənt /

noun

  1. (often plural) an article of clothing

  2. outer covering

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. (tr; usually passive) to cover or clothe

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns


Etymology

Origin of garment

1300–50; Middle English garnement < Old French garniment, equivalent to garni ( r ) to garnish + -ment -ment


Explanation

A garment is a piece of clothing. The area of New York City where clothes are manufactured is known as the Garment District. Derived from the French word for "equipment," garment is a somewhat generic term you can use when the specific kind of clothing you're describing is not the point. A dress, for example, is a dress, and pants are pants. They are not the same thing, unless you refer to them both as garments, in which case they are the same thing.

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Vocabulary lists containing garment

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.

See Examples For:

Such concerns are widespread across Cambodia's garment industry, with a 2024 International Labour Organization report, external finding 69% of factories had issues with heat and 84% with worker protection.

From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026

The attribution to Samuel is based on clues including the location of the tomb, the sumptuousness of the garment, the age of the deceased and an old fracture.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Now part of the Academy Museum’s collection, the nearly century-old garment underwent an extensive restoration before “The Horror Show.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

They are easily identified as Jewish settlers by the white tassels dangling from their hips, a religious garment worn by Orthodox men.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Quickly she hid behind a garment rack and slipped on the outfit she had fashioned.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood

But while compression garments might make you think they’re helping as they reduce soreness, evidence showing they actually improve muscle recovery is generally less convincing.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

Among them are garments created for Olympic opening ceremonies.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

She pulled out her phone to show me some of her work, which included garments she’d fashioned out of Trader Joe’s tote bags.

From Salon ● Oct. 11, 2026

Salt crystals used to treat the garments were also reproduced on jackets and brooches.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Now Therese drops the soiled garments in soapy water with fingers that are long and tapered, like a lady’s, but red and rough, like a servant’s.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

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