noun
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(often plural) an article of clothing
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outer covering
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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regarmentverb (used with object)
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garmentlessadjective
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ungarmentedadjective
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well-garmentedadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of garment
1300–50; Middle English garnement < Old French garniment, equivalent to garni ( r ) to garnish + -ment -ment
Explanation
A garment is a piece of clothing. The area of New York City where clothes are manufactured is known as the Garment District. Derived from the French word for "equipment," garment is a somewhat generic term you can use when the specific kind of clothing you're describing is not the point. A dress, for example, is a dress, and pants are pants. They are not the same thing, unless you refer to them both as garments, in which case they are the same thing.
Vocabulary lists containing garment
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Drama
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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.
See Examples For:
He blunders on Warren Buffett, stating that his company, Berkshire Hathaway, hasn’t made a garment “in over fifty years,” but the company only closed its textile operations 41 years ago.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026
Christine is only slightly more experienced, no longer an atelier apprentice, but is just beginning to prove herself, constructing her first garment entirely on her own.
From Salon ● Jun. 29, 2026
The painting depicts Mary Magdalene with long, flowing hair, draped in a regal red garment and clutching a skull — a contemporary interpretation of one of Christianity’s most enduring figures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
During the hajj, men wear a seamless shroud-like white garment that emphasises unity among believers regardless of their social status or nationality.
From Barron's ● May 25, 2026
“They want to take some pictures while you work,” Miss Genovese explains, and then she holds up a garment bag.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
With spinning, weaving, dyeing and knitting facilities -- the Glo-Djigbe site exported its first garments in 2024 for the French retailer Kiabi, followed by other international brands such as US Polo.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Upfront payments for blank garments often come due before major customers settle their invoices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 5, 2026
The legislation targets ultra-fast fashion based on two criteria: the volume of clothing placed on the market and the cost of repairing garments relative to their purchase price.
From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026
Drawing liberally from fashion, art history and everyday life, she often dresses the subjects of her portraits in puffer jackets — garments she wears herself during the cold winters of Granada, Spain, where she lives.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
Mrs. Pontellier’s mind was quite at rest concerning the present material needs of her children, and she could not see the use of anticipating and making winter night garments the subject of her summer meditations.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
