beret
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beret
1820–30; < French < Gascon berret, OPr. ber ( r ) et. See biretta
Explanation
A beret is a round, soft hat. Berets were first made in 17th-century France, and they're still commonly associated with that country. If you enjoy French culture, you might don a beret while eating baguettes with brie. We can trace the origin of beret back to the Late Latin birrus, "large, hooded cloak," and since the word itself is French, the t is silent — beret rhymes with tray. From the time they were invented, berets have been casual, fashionable caps most often made of wool or felt. The armies of several countries, including Italy and the U.S. Special Forces, also wear berets as part of their uniform.
Vocabulary lists containing beret
Put a Lid On It: Hats, Hoods, and Other Headgear
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English Words Derived from French, List 7
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A Good Kind of Trouble
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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.
See Examples For:
Indeed he was, as evident by the jaunty white beret he’d worn for the occasion, which quickly went viral on social media.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
Karl wears the maroon beret and "wings" of the Parachute Regiment.
From BBC ● Dec. 28, 2025
A rendering of Mamdani’s election night victory speech features a pint-size Curtis Sliwa wearing a little red beret.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Sliwa -- once a night manager of a McDonald's restaurant in New York -- made his name with the Guardian Angels subway patrol group, which still sees him routinely sport a red beret.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2025
I draw a picture of Pierre with his beret and wish I had some green chalk to add a little smudge in honor of Albert.
From "Fish in a Tree" by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
As well as financial reparations, veterans can also apply for restoration of rank, the return of berets and medals, and an "Etherton Ribbon" - a badge which recognises those who served under the ban.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
On both occasions, the now shaven-headed "Pulp Fiction" icon wore fetching French berets, a white one for his award and a black one for the premiere of his semi-autobiographical movie, "Propeller One-Way Night Coach".
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
In 2015, many of the youth clubs merged into the Defense Ministry’s Youth Army with military-style uniforms and red berets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 14, 2025
He waded through the crowd in a knot of security guys, several wearing the iconic red berets of Sliwa’s vigilante organization, the Guardian Angels.
From Slate ● Nov. 5, 2025
Their work boots and crew cuts said military to her, but they had no familiar identifying markers — no berets, no camouflage or flag emblems.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
