- 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
Compare meaning
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.
So is clothing, furniture and just about everything else.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
She has an eye for detail; later in the series, she will Sherlock Holmes a character based on his clothing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
Management said that Levi’s customers — across genders and geographies — had remained “resilient,” amid concerns about putting off clothing purchases or waiting for discounts as costs of living rise.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
This impairs our ability to quickly shed excess heat and makes it harder to judge when our bodies are under burden, simply because we can't see as much sweat on our skin or clothing.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
And suddenly it was all there—the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
