First recorded in 1865–70; named after J. T. Brudnell, 7th Earl of Cardigan (1797–1868), British cavalryman of Crimean War fame
A cardigan is a sweater that opens in front. Your favorite cardigan might have pearl buttons and pockets. Unlike a sweater that you pull on over your head, a cardigan is shrugged on over the shoulders and buttons, zips, or snaps up the front — or is worn open, with no fasteners at all. During the Crimean War in the 1800s, English general James Thomas Brudenell's troops wore jackets that opened in front, and since he was the 7th Earl of Cardigan, these garments — and future open-front sweaters — were known as cardigans.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Come Sunday, Raman, wearing jeans and a chartreuse cardigan, was greeting bike riders at a Sawtelle coffee shop and speaking to a phone bank group at UCLA.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2026
Sims, wearing a gray cardigan and a large hair clip, told AFP she had particularly wanted Trump to deliver on his promises to address affordability issues.
From Barron's • Jan. 16, 2026
And I had this cardigan on, which was full of mohair, so it was in my throat, in my nose, in my eyes, and it started to affect my voice.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 15, 2025
Jessica, who is wearing cheetah-print leggings, an orange-fringed cardigan and long green feather earrings as she video calls the BBC, says her boyfriend still puts effort in and "always looks great".
From BBC • Oct. 5, 2025
Mint-green sundress, dark green cardigan, gray tights, and my gold combat boots.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
