ornamental
Americanadjective
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used or grown for ornament.
ornamental plants.
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providing ornament, decorative.
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of or relating to ornament.
noun
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something ornamental; decoration; adornment.
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a plant cultivated for decorative purposes.
adjective
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of value as an ornament; decorative
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(of a plant) used to decorate houses, gardens, etc
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ornamental
Explanation
If something is ornamental, it's a decoration. The red feather in your cap is most definitely ornamental; it serves no purpose other than providing a splash of color. Ornamental things are, by definition, just for show — they're not actually useful. So an ornamental pond in your yard might be pretty, but you can't fish or swim in it, and an ornamental telephone booth in your friend's living room doesn't really work. Likewise, ornamental plants or gardens are full of beautiful flowers and foliage, but nothing in them is edible.
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.
Teeny-tiny chorizo and ricotta meatballs — the kind that feel almost ornamental, until you taste what they’ve done to the pan.
From Salon • Mar. 23, 2026
But he had his own quirky, even obsessive interests—in all things ancient and Roman, in architecture, and especially in the hybrid ornamental figures known as grotesques.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 21, 2026
"The crop is still seen as a backyard ornamental or medicinal plant rather than a commercial commodity," says Reddy.
From BBC • Jan. 5, 2026
For decades, these elements were treated as ornamental details.
From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025
I recognized him, recognized his flattop of blonded hair with the ornamental frontal curl, the snarly lips, the athletic lumber.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
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.
