livery

¹ American  

[liv-uh-ree, liv-ree] / ˈlɪv ə ri, ˈlɪv ri /

noun

• liveries
  plural

1. the care, feeding, stabling, etc., of horses for pay.

2. Also called livery stable. a stable where horses are cared for or rented out for pay.

3. a company that rents out automobiles, boats, etc.

4. a distinctive design or color scheme that marks something, especially a bus, train, airplane, etc., as belonging to a particular company or organization.

   This airline's red-and-blue livery makes its planes easy to spot.

5. a distinctive uniform, badge, or device formerly provided for servants.

6. 1. distinctive attire worn by an official, a member of a company or guild, etc.

   2. Also called livery company. British. a guild or company of the City of London entitled to wear such livery.

7. characteristic dress or outward appearance.

   the green livery of summer.

8. Law. an ancient method of conveying a freehold by formal delivery of possession.

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livery ² American  

[liv-uh-ree] / ˈlɪv ə ri /

adjective

1. liverish.

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livery ¹ British  

/ ˈlɪvərɪ /

noun

1. the identifying uniform, badge, etc, of a member of a guild or one of the servants of a feudal lord

2. a uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs

3. an individual or group that wears such a uniform

4. distinctive dress or outward appearance

5. 1. the stabling, keeping, or hiring out of horses for money

   2. ( as modifier )

      a livery horse

6. being kept in a livery stable

7. legal history an ancient method of conveying freehold land

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livery ² British  

/ ˈlɪvərɪ /

adjective

1. of or resembling liver

2. another word for liverish

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• liveries
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of livery¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English livere, from Anglo-French, equivalent to Old French livree “allowance (of food, clothing, etc.),” noun use of feminine past participle of livrer “to give over,” from Latin līberāre; see liberate

Origin of livery²

First recorded in 1770–80; liver ¹ + -y ¹

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Explanation

A livery is a place that will take care of your horse, for a fee. You will mostly see this use now in historic novels — especially the kind where a cowboy rides into town and stables his horse at the livery. The noun livery also refers to a uniform sometimes worn by male servants, like doormen, footmen, and chauffeurs. Your cousin works for a prominent and wealthy family, and he is required to wear the livery of that family when he is on duty. He isn't allowed to say where he works, but he calls his boss, "Your Highness."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

livery liveries

The final flight under Czech Airlines livery took place in 2024, with Smartwings taking over operations.

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

It features a new red, white and navy blue colour scheme in a change from the previous white and light blue livery.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Typical livery costs, which are fees for the boarding and care of horses in stables, can be about £800 a month, according to the charity Horse Trust.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Officially a midsize SUV, the Optiq looks lean and well-planted, thanks to its low-roof design—in the case of our test car, accented by the optional black-over-tangerine livery and 21-inch black-painted alloy wheels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 16, 2026

An army of servants clad in bright blue livery for the new king bore jugs of posset and poured spiced wine in pewter goblets stamped with the seal of Claudius.

From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein

Some carriers are wrapping their planes with special liveries for the occasion, for example.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026

On the ground, Boeing will display four 787 Dreamliners in the liveries of Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways of Abu Dhabi, and Saudia and Riyadh Air of Saudi Arabia.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 10, 2023

The plant, in the eastern city of Zhoushan, will install interiors and paint liveries.

From Reuters ● Nov. 2, 2018

I walked along the sidewalk as the bright liveries of European shipping companies—Waberer’s, of Hungary; Amenda, of Germany; Finejas, of Lithuania; Discordia, of Bulgaria—buffeted past.

From The New Yorker ● Jul. 23, 2018

Two liveries Sam noticed, one marked by the Red Eye, the other by a Moon disfigured with a ghastly face of death; but he did not stop to look more closely.

From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien

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