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.
Ornamental trees like ficus don’t really need pruning at all to stay healthy, said Downer.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2023
Ornamental corn, dried flowers and plants, chocolate and even potpourri can be a suitable habitat.
From Washington Post • Oct. 7, 2022
Ornamental grass is a big component of the European prairie-style gardens in the pages of "WILD," and they're also one of the key plants that Kingsbury recommends for the new naturalistic style.
From Salon • Aug. 28, 2022
Ornamental palm trees - some of them planted soon after independence from British colonial rule in the 1960s - have not been spared either.
From BBC • Nov. 26, 2021
Ornamental bay windows protrude from the sooty brick exterior that I estimate to be seventeenth century.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
