ornamentation

[awr-nuh-men-tey-shuhn, ‑muhn‑]

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ornamentation¹

First recorded in 1850–1855

Example Sentences

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.

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And as Herndon pointed out, “in time Lincoln’s style changed: he became more eloquent but with less gaudy ornamentation. He grew in oratorical power, dropping gradually the alliteration and rosy metaphor of youth.”

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A lack of ornamentation turns every place into no place at all, blending together experiences and venues in the same manner as the internet’s endless feed.

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The tent may conjure fantasies of seeing a performance 100 years ago — with 3,000 hand-beveled mirrors, hand-cut stained glass windows and ornate carved wood ornamentation — but the show’s content is decidedly modern.

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I, on the other hand, know the way to my Valentine’s heart — and it does not include ornamentation, flash or anything that involves him having to put on socks and nice shoes.

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Related Words

• embellishment