nude

American  

[nood, nyood] / nud, njud /

adjective

• nuder,
  comparative
• nudest
  superlative

1. naked or unclothed, as a person or the body.

   Synonyms:

   exposed, undressed, uncovered

2. without the usual coverings, furnishings, etc.; bare.

   a nude stretch of land laid waste by brush fires.

3. (of a photograph, painting, statue, etc.) being or prominently displaying a representation of the nude human figure.

4. Law. made without a consideration or other legal essential.

   a nude contract.

5. having the color nude.

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noun

• nudes
  plural

1. a sculpture, painting, etc., of a nude human figure.

2. an unclothed human figure.

3. the condition of being unclothed.

   to sleep in the nude.

4. (no longer in common use; now considered offensive) a light grayish-yellow brown to brownish-pink color.

5. a color that falls within the spectrum of human skin colors.

nude British  

/ njuːd /

adjective

1. completely unclothed; undressed

2. having no covering; bare; exposed

3. law

   1. lacking some essential legal requirement, esp supporting evidence

   2. (of a contract, agreement, etc) made without consideration and void unless under seal

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noun

1. the state of being naked (esp in the phrase in the nude )

2. a naked figure, esp in painting, sculpture, etc

Sensitive Note

See flesh color.

Pronunciation

See new .

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nudeness
  noun
• seminude
  adjective
• subnude
  adjective
• nudely
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• nudes
  plural

Adjectives

• nuder
  comparative
• nudest
  superlative

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Etymology

Origin of nude

1525–35; < Latin nūdus; see naked

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Explanation

Someone who's nude isn't wearing any clothes. In modern society, we're generally nude in the shower but fully dressed when we go to work. Whether you say you're "in your birthday suit," "au naturel," or "unclothed" — when you're nude, you're naked. You might find the word in the phrase "in the nude," which also simply means nude, or describing a work of art as "a nude," or a painting or sculpture of a nude person. In the 1500s, nude was a legal term meaning "unsupported," from the Latin nudus, "bare." The "naked" definition didn't became popular until the nineteenth century.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nude nudes

John Quincy Adams used to walk from the White House down to the Potomac and go swimming — often in the nude.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

Did groups of men really treat tuberculosis by exercising nude?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

One of the women at the centre of the report, whose name has been changed to Mahnoor to protect her privacy, explains that the images that changed her life were not nude.

From BBC ● Jun. 21, 2026

"We also remain committed to making it impossible for children in the UK to take, share or view nude images, and are working at pace to deliver this."

From BBC ● May 21, 2026

Not a nude, but a picture of her crouching in the garden, laughing as a butterfly flitted by.

From "Bone Gap" by Laura Ruby

The Musée Renoir, founded in 1960, showcases a dozen original Renoir paintings, including portraits, nudes and still-life paintings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

The Text with Jesus app is inextricably linked to the deepfake nudes generated by supercharged tools from Microsoft and Google — in that they share one foolish premise at core.

From Salon ● Aug. 29, 2023

He painted smaller canvases — nudes and interiors influenced by Impressionism and Orientalism — modeling spaces and volumes with perspective lines and shifts in tone.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 10, 2022

The show at the Barnes, curated by Nancy Ireson, is a thrilling tour of her portraits, nudes, still lifes and drawings.

From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2021

It was Michelangelo’s habit to base his female figures on male nudes drawn from life.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

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Related Words

• naked

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