ornamental

American  

[awr-nuh-men-tl] / ˌɔr nəˈmɛn tl /

adjective

1. used or grown for ornament.

   ornamental plants.

2. providing ornament, decorative.

3. of or relating to ornament.

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noun

1. something ornamental; decoration; adornment.

2. a plant cultivated for decorative purposes.

ornamental British  

/ ˌɔːnəˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. of value as an ornament; decorative

2. (of a plant) used to decorate houses, gardens, etc

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noun

1. a plant cultivated for show or decoration

Other Word Forms

• nonornamental adjective
• nonornamentality noun
• nonornamentally adverb
• ornamentality noun
• ornamentally adverb
• overornamental adjective
• overornamentality noun
• overornamentally adverb
• preornamental adjective
• superornamental adjective
• superornamentally adverb
• unornamental adjective
• unornamentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of ornamental

First recorded in 1640–50; ornament + -al ¹

Example Sentences

For decades, these elements were treated as ornamental details.

From Science Daily

The Wiltshire Council signed off on his plans to build an ornamental outbuilding, a three-story extension, the lake and a driveway that curves around it.

From The Wall Street Journal

Here, Williams deployed coffered ceilings, ornamental ironwork, stained-glass windows and colorful tile across two stories and nearly 9,000 square feet.

From Los Angeles Times

The acres have filled with houses or have turned to pricier crops, asparagus and strawberries, or profitable ornamentals to adorn all those houses built on the bean fields.

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• exquisite
• ornate
• showy