appliqué

American  

[ap-li-key] / ˌæp lɪˈkeɪ /

noun

1. ornamentation, as a cutout design, that is sewn on to or otherwise applied to a piece of material.

2. work so formed.

3. a decorative feature, as a sconce, applied to a surface.

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verb (used with object)

appliquéd, appliquéing

1. to apply as appliqué to.

appliqué British  

/ æˈpliːkeɪ /

noun

1. a decoration or trimming of one material sewn or otherwise fixed onto another

2. the practice of decorating in this way

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verb

1. (tr) to sew or fix (a decoration) on as an appliqué

Etymology

Origin of appliqué

1835–45; < French: applied, fastened to, past participle of appliquer to apply

Explanation

Applique is a sewing technique that involves stitching a small piece of fabric onto a larger one to make a pattern or design. You could decorate your jeans using applique, sewing flowers and stars on them. When you use applique to decorate something like a pillow or a handbag, you often cut out fabric shapes and sew or glue them on. Applique is the technique that's used to make sports or college banners as well, attaching letters to the triangular fabric. You can also spell the word with an accented e, appliqué, which gives you a clue about its pronunciation — the last syllable rhymes with "hay." The French root word is appliquer, "to apply."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

appliqué appliquéd

But “The Listeners” holds together perfectly well without the Jungian appliqué.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026

Cutting and sewing techniques allowed these prints to live anew as appliqué details.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 25, 2023

“Nevertheless, the black appliqué still draws attention and makes her stand apart from everybody else.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2022

“From the 3-D appliqué to the peplum detailing and oversized crystals, the details on the dress embodied what I was looking for,” Ms. Beaudry Westin said.

From New York Times ● Mar. 3, 2020

Beautiful back-stitching occurs in the Italian work on Illustration 89, and the stitch is used for sewing down the appliqué in Illustration 94.

From Art in Needlework A Book about Embroidery by Buckle, Mary

The oddly placed shooting star on the bottom right is actually part of an appliquéd textile Münter made.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026

The $8,000 of personal savings she invested in making batches of appliquéd jackets to sell was a gamble, one she considered safe because it didn’t involve digging into her investment accounts.

From New York Times ● Nov. 13, 2021

Before he launched his clothing line, Ruby was known for his “soft sculptures”—huge Dr. Seuss-ish stuffed creatures, quilted and appliquéd and sewn from fabrics designed by the artist.

From The New Yorker ● Sep. 2, 2019

He commissioned T-shirts and accessories printed and appliquéd with cartoon characters and with slogans, also a novelty.

From The Guardian ● Dec. 18, 2012

She is by far the most attractive member of the family, yet she spends most of her time and money disguising herself beneath prosthetic humps and appliquéd skin diseases.

From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris

Related Words

• color
• design
• finery
• ornament
• plaque
• ribbon
• trinket
• wreath