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Synonyms

finery

1 American  
[fahy-nuh-ree] / ˈfaɪ nə ri /

noun

  1. fine or showy dress, ornaments, etc.


finery 2 American  
[fahy-nuh-ree] / ˈfaɪ nə ri /

noun

Metalworking.

plural

fineries
  1. a hearth for converting cast iron into wrought iron; refinery.


finery 1 British  
/ ˈfaɪnərɪ /

noun

  1. elaborate or showy decoration, esp clothing and jewellery

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

finery 2 British  
/ ˈfaɪnərɪ /

noun

  1. a hearth for converting cast iron into wrought iron

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of finery1

First recorded in 1670–80; fine 1 + -ery

Origin of finery2

1600–10; < Middle French finerie, equivalent to fin ( er ) to refine ( fine 1 ) + erie -ery

Explanation

Finery is fancy and expensive clothing and jewelry. A lot of high school students look forward to the prom as a chance to dress up in their finery. Your fanciest clothes are finery, especially if they're elaborate or pricey. Many people dress in finery to attend formal weddings, wearing long gowns and well-tailored tuxedos. The fancy shoes, hats, necklaces, and ties are all also considered to be finery. The word came into use around 1670, literally meaning "something that is fine," from the "high quality" meaning of fine.

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Vocabulary lists containing finery

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.

Once dressed in their wedding finery in the palace of the local ruler, the young women parade through the streets of Shao before the mass wedding is blessed by the priest of Awon.

From Barron's • Nov. 1, 2025

He looks out the window and says “There’s a parade, and a great princess is walking by in all her finery . . .”

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 9, 2025

Senegalese influencer Khaby Lame took pocket watch finery to stunning heights.

From Salon • May 6, 2025

The remarkable thing is that Trump is fine with eliminating all this finery.

From Slate • Apr. 30, 2025

She could see them like the inhabitants of a great city in their finery and gold.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer