apparel
Americannoun
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clothing, especially outerwear; garments; attire; raiment.
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anything that decorates or covers.
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superficial appearance; aspect; guise.
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Nautical. the masts, sails, anchor, etc., used to equip a vessel.
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Ecclesiastical. a piece of embroidery, usually oblong, on certain vestments, especially on the alb or amice.
verb (used with object)
noun
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something that covers or adorns, esp outer garments or clothing
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nautical a vessel's gear and equipment
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have appareledperfect
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have apparelledperfect
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has apparelledperfect 3rd person singular
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has appareledperfect 3rd person singular
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are apparelingprogressive
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has been apparelingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been apparellingperfect progressive
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has been apparellingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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have been apparelingperfect progressive
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am apparelingprogressive 1st person singular
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is apparelingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am apparellingprogressive 1st person singular
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apparelssingular 3rd person
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apparelingparticiple
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are apparellingprogressive
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is apparellingprogressive 3rd person singular
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apparellingparticiple
Past
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had apparelledperfect
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had appareledperfect
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had been apparellingperfect progressive
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had been apparelingperfect progressive
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was apparelingprogressive singular
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were apparellingprogressive plural
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appareledsimple
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was apparellingprogressive singular
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were apparelingprogressive plural
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appareledparticiple
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apparelledsimple
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apparelledparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of apparel
1200–50; Middle English appareillen < Old French apareillier to make fit, fit out < Vulgar Latin *appariculāre, equivalent to ap- ap- 1 + *paricul ( us ) a fit ( see par 1 -cule 1) + -ā- thematic vowel + -re infinitive suffix
Explanation
Apparel is just another word for what you wear. Hopefully the apparel you wear to work — suits and heels — is very different from the apparel you wear on the weekends — pajama pants and bunny slippers. The noun apparel got its start from the Latin apparare, meaning to “prepare, make ready,” or ad-particulare, meaning “to put things together.” In the mid 13th century it evolved into a verb meaning “to equip.” It wasn’t until the next century that people began to use apparel as both a verb meaning “to attire” and as a noun meaning garments or clothing. Said 17th century British writer Thomas Fuller, “…Apparel shapes: but it's money that finishes the man.”
Vocabulary lists containing apparel
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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Words for Carolers
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Let's Go Caroling, List 1
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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.
Tariff-sensitive categories like apparel and household furnishings are also still climbing.
From Salon • Jun. 1, 2026
Gap also said it’s had trouble clearing out merchandise at athletics apparel brand Athleta, where same-store sales tumbled 11%.
From MarketWatch • May 29, 2026
Drag queen Pattie Gonia is asking fans for help fighting Patagonia, the popular outdoor apparel and gear company, which has sued the outspoken environmental activist for trademark infringement.
From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026
A drag queen named Pattie Gonia has urged outdoor apparel company Patagonia to drop a lawsuit in which it alleges the performer is causing "irreparable" damage to its brand.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
Only my damp and bemired apparel; in which I had slept on the ground and fallen in the marsh.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
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.
