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trousers

American  
[trou-zerz] / ˈtraʊ zərz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)
  1. Also called pants.  Sometimes a usually loose-fitting outer garment for the lower part of the body, having individual leg portions that reach typically to the ankle but sometimes to any of various other points from the upper leg down.

  2. pantalets.


trousers British  
/ ˈtraʊzəz /

plural noun

  1. a garment shaped to cover the body from the waist to the ankles or knees with separate tube-shaped sections for both legs

  2. US equivalent: wear the pantsinformal to have control, esp in a marriage

"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

Etymology

Origin of trousers

1585–95; trouse (variant of trews ) + (draw)ers (in the sense “undergarment with legs”)

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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:

The Loose Women presenter recounted a time where Kelly lifted something and ripped his trousers while live on air.

From BBC Jul. 27, 2026

Dressed in dark trousers and a denim jacket, he discussed his life and music on the beach walk and over tea on the patio at the Viceroy hotel.

From Los Angeles Times Jul. 8, 2026

Back in 2006, Netherlands fans were told to remove their trousers before entering a World Cup stadium.

From BBC Jun. 25, 2026

In December, she posted a TikTok showing off an oversize crew neck and pajama-like black trousers, playfully captioned “putting the casual in business casual.”

From The Wall Street Journal Jun. 23, 2026

Henry, in coat and tie, waded out to where Francis stood, his trousers rolled to the knee, an old-fashioned banker in a surrealist painting.

From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt

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