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Synonyms

lapel

American  
[luh-pel] / ləˈpɛl /

noun

  1. either of the two parts of a garment folded back on the chest, especially a continuation of a coat collar.

lapel British  
/ ləˈpɛl /

noun

  1. the continuation of the turned or folded back collar on a suit coat, jacket, etc

"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

Other Word Forms

  • lapelled adjective
  • lapelless adjective

Etymology

Origin of lapel

1780–90; irregular diminutive of lap 1; -le

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.

Angry, the 60-year-old cannot come to terms with the loss of her daughter Annalee, a little blonde girl in a cowboy hat whose smile lights up the pin attached to the lapel of her jacket.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

On his lapel, he wore a little button, a heart over crossbones.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 15, 2025

Someone knelt down and clipped a microphone to her lapel, a few inches from the crucifix that dangled from her neck.

From Slate • Jun. 25, 2025

Sporting a tricolour clip on his lapel, the musician had Irish citizenship conferred on him in Killarney and said it was a "a monumental day" for all involved.

From BBC • Jun. 23, 2025

On the day of her daughter's funeral, she wore a giant pink flower pinned to her lapel.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

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.