lingerie
Americannoun
-
underwear, sleepwear, and other items of intimate apparel worn by women.
-
Archaic. linen goods in general.
adjective
noun
-
women's underwear and nightwear
-
archaic linen goods collectively
Etymology
Origin of lingerie
First recorded in 1825–35; from French, from Middle French linge “linen” (from Latin līneus “flaxen”; see line 1) + -erie -ery
Explanation
Ladies wear lingerie as undergarments or sleepwear. When you go the department store, instead of asking, “Where do you keep the underpants?” you could say, “Will you please direct me to the lingerie department?” The noun lingerie, pronounced "lahn-zhuh-RAY" by most Americans, comes from the French word lingerie, which means “things made of linen.” In English, lingerie has a bit of a racy connotation, because if you use this word instead of the more common underwear, you are probably talking about silk and lace — fancy underthings that aren't meant for everyday wear.
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.
Lingerie firm Victoria's Secret has taken down its US website and says it has halted some in-store services following what it has described as a "security incident".
From BBC • May 29, 2025
Randy Shrier, one of the co-owners of Trashy Lingerie, confirmed to The Times that Robert Shrier is his brother.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2025
Curvaceous Lingerie took it all in stride, writing on Facebook that “A deer came for a bra fitting and did some major damage!”
From Washington Times • Nov. 7, 2023
There’s an account called Lingerie Addict who tweeted a list of counterpoints people made at her when talking about fast fashion, and I’ve seen all the same counterpoints.
From Slate • Jan. 26, 2023
The Shirt was ruffled the same as the Lingerie in an Advertisement, and the Watch Chain was of Human Hair, which is now regarded as a Penitentiary Offense.
From Knocking the Neighbors by Ade, George
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.
