embellishment

American  

[em-bel-ish-muhnt] / ɛmˈbɛl ɪʃ mənt /

noun

1. an ornament or decoration.

2. a fictitious addition, as to a factual statement.

3. Music.

   1. ornament.

   2. auxiliary tone.

4. the act of embellishing.

5. state of being embellished.

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Other Word Forms

• nonembellishment noun
• overembellishment noun

Etymology

Origin of embellishment

First recorded in 1615–25; embellish + -ment

Example Sentences

We know embellishment is one of the biggest trends for next spring and summer - with extravagantly textured items also seen across many runways.

From BBC

This is war writing at its best, brutally and straightforwardly told because the events and deeds Sledge recounts require no embellishment.

From The Wall Street Journal

Titled “Mary Magdalene,” it mixes fact and fiction, as in general seems to be Davis’ wont as a natural-born storyteller, always refining her tale through fabulation and embellishment.

From Los Angeles Times

The scenes follow her attempts to shake off her dependency on Xavier, gliding in an elegant but wispy and uncentered way between memories, philosophical maunderings and embellishments of imagined interactions.

From The Wall Street Journal

While its charm lies in its refusal of precise definition, junk journaling generally consists of compiling scrap items and keepsakes into curated notebooks, which can also contain personal musings, ornamental stickers and other embellishments.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adornment
• coloring
• embroidery
• ornamentation