noun
-
(often plural) an article of clothing
-
outer covering
verb
Other Word Forms
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.
One key benefit of automating garment manufacturing, however, is that it could drastically reduce the environmental impact of this industry.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
Roboticists have eyed the garment manufacturing industry for decades.
From BBC • May 18, 2026
The garment was also the centerpiece of ads for the collection and showcased the fashion potential of Christian figures.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
People’s sizes can shift over a period of months, making a garment a poor fit.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 11, 2026
It looked like a garment at first, a cast-off cloak made of small white feathers.
From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu
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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.