costume

American  

[kos-toom, -tyoom, ko-stoom, -styoom] / ˈkɒs tum, -tyum, kɒˈstum, -ˈstyum /

noun

1. a style of dress, including accessories and hairdos, especially that peculiar to a nation, region, group, or historical period.

2. dress or garb characteristic of another period, place, person, etc., as worn on the stage or at balls.

3. fashion of dress appropriate to a particular occasion or season.

   dancing costume; winter costume.

4. a set of garments, especially women's garments, selected for wear at a single time; outfit; ensemble.

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verb (used with object)

costumes, present (3rd person singular) costumed, past participle, past costuming present participle

1. to dress; furnish with a costume; provide appropriate dress for.

   to costume a play.

adjective

1. of or characterized by the wearing of costumes.

   a costume party.

2. meant for use with or appropriate to a specific costume.

   costume accessories.

costume British  

/ ˈkɒstjuːm /

noun

1. a complete style of dressing, including all the clothes, accessories, etc, worn at one time, as in a particular country or period; dress

   national costume

2. old-fashioned a woman's suit

3. a set of clothes, esp unusual or period clothes, worn in a play by an actor or at a fancy dress ball

   a jester's costume

4. short for swimming costume

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verb

1. to furnish the costumes for (a show, film, etc)

2. to dress (someone) in a costume

Synonym Usage

See dress.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• recostume
  verb (used with object)
• uncostumed
  adjective
• well-costumed
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have costumed
  perfect
• has costumed
  perfect 3rd person singular
• have been costuming
  perfect progressive
• are costuming
  progressive
• am costuming
  progressive 1st person singular
• is costuming
  progressive 3rd person singular
• has been costuming
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• costuming
  participle
• costumes
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had costumed
  perfect
• was costuming
  progressive singular
• had been costuming
  perfect progressive
• were costuming
  progressive plural
• costumed
  participle
• costumed
  simple

Future

• will costume
  simple
• will have costumed
  perfect
• will be costuming
  progressive
• will have been costuming
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of costume

1705–15; < French < Italian: usage, habit, dress; doublet of custom

Explanation

A costume is a set of clothes you wear when you want to dress up like another person. You might wear a witch's costume to go trick-or-treating on Halloween, or put on a George Washington costume to reenact a scene from the American Revolution in a play. A costume is a set of clothes that is unique to a particular person or time period. If you were starring as Dorothy in your neighborhood production of The Wizard of Oz, your costume would consist of a blue-and-white checkered dress and ruby slippers. On the other hand, if you were starring as Lady Godiva, you wouldn't need much of a costume at all!

Example Sentences

“The focus is not so much showing off the wealth, but at least, you know, it’s still there,” says the show’s costume designer Farnaz Khaki-Sadigh.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026

Still, at least my costume was cutting the right figure.

From Slate • Jun. 5, 2026

That week, she threw on a pencil skirt and “cringey blouse,” a costume from playing a secretary in a TV movie, and read for the part of Emily Charlton again.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026

Holman and other production creatives have launched membership organisation Screen Craft Guild Cymru to encourage the next generation who want to work in the industry as costume designers, make-up artists or production team members.

From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026

Now she was venturing upstairs to the fabric department to haggle over bolts of cloth for another costume.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

• apparel
• attire
• dress
• ensemble
• fashion
• garb
• getup
• style
• suit
• uniform
• wardrobe