livery
1 Americannoun
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liveries
plural
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the care, feeding, stabling, etc., of horses for pay.
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Also called livery stable. a stable where horses are cared for or rented out for pay.
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a company that rents out automobiles, boats, etc.
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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.
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a distinctive uniform, badge, or device formerly provided for servants.
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distinctive attire worn by an official, a member of a company or guild, etc.
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Also called livery company. British. a guild or company of the City of London entitled to wear such livery.
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characteristic dress or outward appearance.
the green livery of summer.
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Law. an ancient method of conveying a freehold by formal delivery of possession.
adjective
noun
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the identifying uniform, badge, etc, of a member of a guild or one of the servants of a feudal lord
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a uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs
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an individual or group that wears such a uniform
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distinctive dress or outward appearance
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the stabling, keeping, or hiring out of horses for money
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( as modifier )
a livery horse
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being kept in a livery stable
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legal history an ancient method of conveying freehold land
adjective
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of or resembling liver
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another word for liverish
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing livery
Life Is So Good
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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"A Rose for Emily" by William Faulkner
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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:
The plane features a new Trump-designed livery in red, white and navy blue, in a change from the previous white and light blue.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 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
Demand for affordable retirement livery has risen "exponentially" as people were "massively worried" about the rising cost of living, owners of a farm have said.
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
The other house guards were there in their sea-green livery, and Joost recognized two stadwatch guards in purple.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Some carriers are wrapping their planes with special liveries for the occasion, for example.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 14, 2026
The single, folded sheet lists just 90 names, mostly businesses near historic downtown such as liveries, saloons, physicians, mills, druggists and the local undertaker.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2025
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
It was bare, stripped of King Hamlet's liveries and banners.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
