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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is apparelingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am apparelingprogressive 1st 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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is apparellingprogressive 3rd person singular
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are apparellingprogressive
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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.
On Saturday morning, a news conference was held outside of Ambiance Apparel to commemorate the anniversary.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Apparel sales generally suffer in the face of high gas prices, according to Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor at Circana.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
Apparel stocks look particularly appealing against that backdrop.
From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026
Heading back toward Olympic, I enter David Apparel on 1019 Santee St. The menswear collection here is sporty with Gucci-esque matching outfits and dressy shirts emblazoned with lions.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026
In her gloved hands she held a large cream-colored box with foreign words written on top: “Fine English-Tailored Apparel, Tientsin.”
From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan
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.
