appliqué

American  

[ap-li-kay] / 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

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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

Gallina, 75, was clad in a floor-length dark green striped appliqué jacket and clutching a paper ticket when she declared the Olympics to be a nuisance that has “nothing to do with Milan’s essence.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 12, 2026

Originally, the patterns were inspired by traditional body painting, translated into colorful textiles in reverse appliqué worn as panels on women’s blouses.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 15, 2022

The Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. sat with first lady Jill Biden, who had an embroidered appliqué of a sunflower, the country’s national flower, added to her blue dress.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2022

His aesthetic defined Indian-fusion style for Westerners in the late aughts, with a riotous palette and Indian craft methods like embroidery and appliqué.

From New York Times ● Nov. 16, 2020

As, in the case of appliqué, inlay, and mosaic, an embroidered outline is usually necessary to cover the join, so in the case of cut-work sewing-over is necessary to keep the edges from fraying.

From Art in Needlework A Book about Embroidery by Mary Buckle

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

Clothing once restricted to dark, somber shades turned chartreuse and hot pink, embroidered and appliquéd.

From New York Times ● Sep. 26, 2022

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

Their uniforms were colorful, menacing and full of mystical symbols like stars and crosses that were appliquéd onto the fabric.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 18, 2015

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

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Related Words

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

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