couture
Americannoun
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coutures
plural
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the occupation of a couturier; dressmaking and designing.
-
fashion designers or couturiers collectively.
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the clothes and related articles designed by such designers.
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the business establishments of such designers, especially where clothes are made to order.
adjective
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created or produced by a fashion designer.
couture clothes.
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being, having, or suggesting the style, quality, etc., of a fashion designer; very fashionable.
the couture look.
noun
Usage
What does couture mean? Couture most commonly refers to or describes clothing that was designed by a fashion designer or has that level of quality. Couture can also refer to fashion designers collectively, their profession, the clothes designed by them, or their businesses. Couture is found in (and can be used as a shortening of) the term haute couture, which refers to the world of high fashion and custom-made garments. Example: She’s known for wearing couture looks that are straight from the runway.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of couture
1905–10; < French: literally, sewing, seam < Vulgar Latin *cō ( n ) sūtūra, equivalent to Latin consūt ( us ) past participle of consuere to sew together ( con- con- + suere to sew 1 ) + -ūra -ure; cf. suture, accouter
Explanation
Couture is the design, manufacturing, and sale of designer clothing. You might like to wear couture styles, but your job at the ice cream shop makes jeans and T-shirts a more appropriate choice. Haute couture, or "high" couture, is a step above couture, referring to the most exclusive designers and their wares. The closest the average person gets to haute couture is watching movie stars walk the red carpet on Oscar night. If you like couture but live on a budget, you can shop at high-end consignment shops. Or if you can sew and have an artistic bent, you can design your own couture gowns for yourself and your friends.
Vocabulary lists containing couture
And the Oscar Goes to... Award-worthy Words
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On Trend: Fashionable Words
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English Words Derived from French, List 7
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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.
In the extraordinary abstraction that follows, Thatcher finds her ideal role as one of NWR’s stilted avatars, gussied up in couture and spouting riddles.
From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026
I love Paris, but I think Paris is more couture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Duran Lantink was appointed as the permanent creative lead at Jean Paul Gautier in April last year - with his inaugural haute couture show much anticipated.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
The team from the land of Champagne, Renoir and haute couture has prepared for the tournament’s physical play, trash talk and persistent fouling.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
She imported Italian furniture, artefacts, couture, jewellery, paintings, sculpture and architecture.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
