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
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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apparelsimple
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apparelssimple
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have appareledperfect
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have apparelledperfect
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has appareledperfect
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has apparelledperfect
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am apparelingprogressive
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am apparellingprogressive
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are apparelingprogressive
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are apparellingprogressive
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is apparelingprogressive
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is apparellingprogressive
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have been apparelingperfect progressive
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have been apparellingperfect progressive
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has been apparelingperfect progressive
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has been apparellingperfect progressive
Past
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appareledsimple
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apparelledsimple
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had appareledperfect
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had apparelledperfect
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was apparelingprogressive
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was apparellingprogressive
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were apparelingprogressive
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were apparellingprogressive
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had been apparelingperfect progressive
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had been apparellingperfect progressive
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.
This should support upside for apparel and footwear stocks, especially given those companies have pointed to resilient and healthy consumer demand lately as well as solid full-price selling trends, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026
Shirts such as Japan's and Curacao's have become statements of identity as much as team merchandise, helping Adidas blur the line between football apparel and everyday fashion.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
India's textile and apparel sector contributes more than 2.3% of GDP and represents approximately 13% of industrial production.
From Science Daily • Jun. 12, 2026
Open came via a pair of clips from the athletic footwear and apparel conglomerate.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 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.
