embellishment

[em-bel-ish-muhnt]

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.

Other Word Forms

• nonembellishment noun
• overembellishment noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of embellishment¹

First recorded in 1615–25; embellish + -ment

Example Sentences

This reflects a growing interest that has driven demand for custom-made outfits with bold designs and unique embellishments.

From BBC

However, what all these different iterations share stylistically, regardless of whatever embellishments surround the Buddha, is a sense of stable, enduring calm at the core.

From Los Angeles Times

“Swan Lake” has become so familiar that modern embellishments become just a lot more baggage.

From Los Angeles Times

One side, carved in about AD250, reveals the Buddha in human form with intricate embellishments, while on the other - carved earlier in about 50-1BC - he's represented symbolically through a tree, an empty throne and footprints.

From BBC

He shrugged it off as a small embellishment.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adornment 
• coloring 
• embroidery 
• ornamentation