adornment

[uh-dawrn-muhnt]

noun

1. something that adds attractiveness; ornament; accessory.

   the adornments and furnishings of a room.

2. ornamentation; embellishment.

   personal adornment.

Other Word Forms

• nonadornment noun
• preadornment noun
• readornment noun
• self-adornment noun
• superadornment noun
• unadornment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of adornment¹

1470–80; adorn + -ment; replacing late Middle English aournement < Middle French

Example Sentences

The ride’s namesake song plays give and take with “Jingle Bells” and seasonal adornments adorably enliven the leisurely boat ride with even more cheer.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Scott’s often been accused in the past of doing “too much,” excessive adornment, but in this context, all of it works.

Read more on Salon

What follows will touch on religious and mystical iconography — we’ll meet three lantern-carrying masked figures, for instance, with exaggerated, regal adornments as they herald a birth.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

A moment where Ruth sees a woman wearing a potato chip clip as a hair adornment captures that atmosphere.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Independent experts have said that they could find no real connection between gang membership and tattoos, a popular adornment for Venezuelans and nearly one-third of Americans.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• embellishment 
• ornamentation