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.

---

verb (used with object)

costumed, costuming

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

---

verb

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

2. to dress (someone) in a costume

Related Words

See dress.

Other Word Forms

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

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

“She better come out in an amazing outfit,” one woman next to me said of Carpenter as Sarandon continued to extend the singer’s costume change.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

One vendor sold t-shirts with captions proclaiming “LEGEND” alternatively accompanying pictures of Charlie Kirk or, for some reason, Andy Griffith and Don Knotts together in costume from The Andy Griffith Show.

From Slate • Mar. 30, 2026

Dario wore a panda outfit to their costume party-themed wedding.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

Amid the moss-draped live oaks and blooming pink and white azaleas, a person in a purple Barney dinosaur costume held a sign reading: “Dino’s for Democracy.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

The finished costume of rich red silk lay across her bed, and she was busy draping reams of sunny yellow material across the foot of mine.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Related Words

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