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Synonyms

ornamentation

American  
[awr-nuh-men-tey-shuhn, ‑muhn‑] / ˌɔr nə mɛnˈteɪ ʃən, ‑mən‑ /

noun

  1. the act of ornamenting.

  2. the state of being ornamented. ornamented.

  3. something with which a thing is ornamented; ornamented; embellishment.

  4. ornaments collectively.

Etymology

Origin of ornamentation

First recorded in 1850–1855

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.

Gilded fixtures, trim and ornamentation — rumored to be from Home Depot — mar the walls.

From Salon • Jan. 4, 2026

Some were drawn in a realistic style, while others were more abstract, but all showed intentional design rather than random ornamentation.

From Science Daily • Dec. 16, 2025

One thing it clarifies is why Jim Crow monuments are all rendered in the same backward, Beaux-Arts style, exploiting classical forms and elaborate ornamentation harnessed for the 1890s City Beautiful movement.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

The 18th Century painting below features typical stylistic elements of Mughal art, including highly stylised figures, vibrant colours, naturalism and ornamentation.

From BBC • Dec. 24, 2024

It looks like at some point the buttons were ordered by size or color, but now they’re all mixed up—every conceivable hue, shape, and ornamentation.

From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini

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.