ornamental

American  

[awr-nuh-men-tl] / ˌɔr nəˈmɛn tl /

adjective

1. used or grown for ornament.

   ornamental plants.

2. providing ornament, decorative.

3. of or relating to ornament.

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noun

1. something ornamental; decoration; adornment.

2. a plant cultivated for decorative purposes.

ornamental British  

/ ˌɔːnəˈmɛntəl /

adjective

1. of value as an ornament; decorative

2. (of a plant) used to decorate houses, gardens, etc

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noun

1. a plant cultivated for show or decoration

Other Word Forms

• nonornamental adjective
• nonornamentality noun
• nonornamentally adverb
• ornamentality noun
• ornamentally adverb
• overornamental adjective
• overornamentality noun
• overornamentally adverb
• preornamental adjective
• superornamental adjective
• superornamentally adverb
• unornamental adjective
• unornamentally adverb

Etymology

Origin of ornamental

First recorded in 1640–50; ornament + -al ¹

Example Sentences

“These lean, scrappy plants are rarely as showy as their ornamental cousins, but when it comes to fragrance, they win every award, hands down,” she wrote.

From Los Angeles Times

Sturdy red bricks adjoin pale stone accented by ornamental flourishes.

From Literature

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

"The crop is still seen as a backyard ornamental or medicinal plant rather than a commercial commodity," says Reddy.

From BBC

For decades, these elements were treated as ornamental details.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• exquisite
• ornate
• showy