adornment
Americannoun
-
something that adds attractiveness; ornament; accessory.
the adornments and furnishings of a room.
-
ornamentation; embellishment.
personal adornment.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adornment
1470–80; adorn + -ment; replacing late Middle English aournement < Middle French
Explanation
An adornment is some ornament or accent that makes a person or thing look more attractive. You might check out your hair in the mirror before a party and decide it needs an adornment — a hat or a glittery barrette. Tinsel draped on a Christmas tree is an adornment, and so are the fuzzy dice hanging on your car's rear view mirror. Lipstick is an adornment, and so is a polka dotted bow tie, since they both dress a person up a little bit. Another way to use adornment is to mean the act or process of decorating: "The adornment of the high school gym had transformed it into a winter wonderland." The Latin root is adornare, "equip or embellish."
Vocabulary lists containing adornment
"The Gift of the Magi"
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"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d" by Walt Whitman
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The Witch of Blackbird Pond
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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.
The conspicuous consumption in “The Queen of Sparkle” section includes her diamond brooch and pendant, and her jewelry chest, made by Martin Carlin in 1770, whose adornment of Sèvres porcelain set a trend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
Scott’s often been accused in the past of doing “too much,” excessive adornment, but in this context, all of it works.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2025
And then with the hair adornment, you have the alligator, you have honey bees.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2024
“For example, the Targaryen look, it’s sort of brutalist in style, in terms of its adornment and embroidery, it’s more abstract, whereas the folks at Kings Landing are more naturalistic.”
From BBC ● Aug. 3, 2024
The only adornment was a bit of lace at the neck and jet buttons down the front.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
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.
