- 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.
But she has a very specific aim - to unearth fabrics and clothing that she can salvage and refashion into new items, some of which she then sells.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
In addition to finding clothing for her children and her nephews and nieces, she keeps some for herself.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Muhannad al-Tamimi, whose house had been occupied by soldiers since the operation began, returned to a trashed apartment with furniture and clothing littering the floors, mattresses overturned and a child's bicycle broken.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
“There is an important distinction between the fashion doll and a doll who is merely dressed: a fashion doll’s clothing is meant to be removed and changed.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2026
I ask Camille, who’s crouched over an unzipped suitcase, rummaging through piles of clothing.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
