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embellishment

[em-bel-ish-muh nt]

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SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR embellishment ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an ornament or decoration.

a fictitious addition, as to a factual statement.

Music.

the act of embellishing.

state of being embellished.

Origin of embellishment

First recorded in 1615–25; embellish + -ment

Related formsnon·em·bel·lish·ment, nouno·ver·em·bel·lish·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for embellishment

Contemporary Examples of embellishment

The following looks—everything from eveningwear to denim jeans—dripped and dazzled with embellishment.
Marc Jacobs Leaves Louis Vuitton After 16 Years
Alice Cavanagh
October 2, 2013
Sets start at $1,500 and top out at about $6,000, depending on the level of embellishment.
Lingerie for the 1 Percent
CNBC
August 6, 2013
With the embellishment stripped bare, the diaries present a nastier, more easily irritated side of the man.
Orwell’s Lies: His Diaries Reveal Problems with the Truth
Jimmy So
August 19, 2012
Lush embroidery and embellishment covered the neckline of filmy tulle gowns.
Prada and Gucci Show Off Strong, Smart Sensuality at Milan Fall 2012 Fashion Shows
Robin Givhan
February 24, 2012
She was an immigrant asylum seeker, and embellishment of asylum applications is extremely common.
The Martyrdom of DSK
Christopher Dickey
July 5, 2011

Historical Examples of embellishment

Thousands of graves must have been sacrificed for the embellishment of one.
Pagan and Christian Rome
Rodolfo Lanciani
I am the extension, my good Prosper; I am the embellishment!
A Bundle of Letters
Henry James
Dressing is not regarded as an adulteration, but as an embellishment.
Textiles
William H. Dooley
The truth, in this case, is romantic enough and needs no embellishment.
Roosevelt in the Bad Lands
H. Hagedorn.
And all the old puzzles are capable of improvement, embellishment, and extension.
The Canterbury Puzzles
Henry Ernest Dudeney

Word Origin and History for embellishment

n.

1590s, from embellish + -ment.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper