- present participle of clothe.
clothing
Americannoun
-
garments collectively
-
something that covers or clothes
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of clothing
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English; clothe + -ing 1
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How does clothing compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Clothing is what your wear, like sweaters, shirts, pants, dresses, and so on. Your favorite piece of clothing might be your purple polka dotted tights. Clothing is made of fabric and covers our bodies, keeps them warm or protects them from the sun, insects, sharp rocks and thorns, and other hazards. In some situations, clothing keeps people safe, as when medical workers wear scrubs, gloves, and masks to protect themselves and patients from infection. Often clothing reflects your personal values or religion, like a Muslim woman's hijab that covers her hair. The Old English root is claþ, "cloth or woven material."
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.
It is expanding clothing, silks and shoe offerings in an effort to draw more shoppers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
Those images and the clothing he was wearing at the time of his death were uploaded to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons database.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Jackson’s remains were found with clothing and shoes that were in fashion during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Price said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
“In Spain, we don’t have things like this,” said Elena Roig Roger, the founder of Dogtitude, an Ibizan line of dog and human clothing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
And even though the day was cold, some of them wore almost no clothing, just pieces of rags.
From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff
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