- 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.
He also took notice of the items being put on sale — from clothing to shoes, to home goods like bedding.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
Iran's laws ban public performances by women and require them to wear headscarves and modest clothing.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
The company also expects consumers to stock up on essentials during holiday deals, projecting online sales of personal hygiene products will more than double-and clothing basics will more than triple-during Cyber Week.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Its unusual name -- which means faecal matter in French -- was chosen to ensure that people who bought the brand's clothing only wanted it for the design, rather than the name on the label.
From Barron's ● Sep. 28, 2026
There in her case was the tailoring department of the clothing store my family owned, where Olka had recently started working as a seamstress.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
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.
