attire
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
-
clothes or apparel, especially rich or splendid garments.
-
the horns of a deer.
verb
noun
-
clothes or garments, esp if fine or decorative
-
the antlers of a mature male deer
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
attiresimple
-
attiressimple
-
have attiredperfect
-
has attiredperfect
-
am attiringprogressive
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are attiringprogressive
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is attiringprogressive
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have been attiringperfect progressive
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has been attiringperfect progressive
Past
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attiredsimple
-
had attiredperfect
-
was attiringprogressive
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were attiringprogressive
-
had been attiringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of attire
1250–1300; (v.) Middle English atiren < Anglo-French atirer, Old French atirier, verbal derivative of a tire into a row or rank ( see a- 3, tier 1); (noun) Middle English atir < Anglo-French, noun derivative of the v.
Explanation
The noun attire is just a formal way to say "outfit." And if you’re going outside in the middle of a blizzard, your attire should include more than a bathing suit and flip-flops. Attire can also refer to the antlers of a deer, but that’s a pretty obscure definition. So let's stick to the more common uses: put it into verb form and it means "to dress or clothe." Which makes sense, since it comes to us from the Old French atirier, meaning “to equip, ready or prepare.” Charles Dickens wrote that “Great men are seldom over-scrupulous in the arrangement of their attire" — meaning the clothes do not make the man.
Vocabulary lists containing attire
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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Beowulf vocabulary
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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.
See Examples For:
As Japan braces for another hot summer, the Tokyo government has encouraged office workers to adopt more casual attire like T-shirts and shorts, instead of suit and ties, because of the heat.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
We worked in formal offices, dressed in business attire, and understood the importance of speaking professionally with clients.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
But, he said, his cowboy attire was no costume.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
Businesses in Afghanistan's western city of Herat have suffered from a downturn in female customers opting to stay home following a recent crackdown by morality police on women's attire, according to shopkeepers, drivers and residents.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
I returned to the motel, presented Katz with half—he couldn’t have been more thrilled—then went to my room and put on my new attire.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
The people who showed up at the Harris rally came in clusters, some families and some groups of friends, all of different ages, races and attires.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2024
Afghan women wear such colorful and modest attires.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2021
"This would be a colorful Rajasthan wedding, and both Brand and Perry would be attired in Indian wedding attires," Singh said.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 21, 2010
Toni-Leslie James’s carnivalesque costumes provide the only touches of color, and they are limited to the attires of Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo.
From New York Times ● Mar. 11, 2010
I'll show thee some attires, and have thy counsel Which is the best to furnish me to-morrow.
From Much Ado about Nothing by Shakespeare, William
Ehis now has a master's degree in international business and says it was important to mark the occasion properly attired, even if it can be financially difficult.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The opera opens in the real world, as drably attired villagers assemble marigold- and candle-festooned Day of the Dead altars.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
The mostly female attendees range from 30 years old to over 70 and are attired in outfits including cutoffs, tank tops, straw fedoras and glamorous full-length dresses.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 4, 2026
“We believe Cook is a hall-of-fame CEO, and he will be CEO for at least the next two years,” says the ever-colorfully attired Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities.
From Barron's ● Dec. 18, 2025
Like Burr, Hamilton was properly attired and also carried himself with a similar air of gentlemanly diffidence.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
"They were seeing themselves as individuals and set themselves apart," said Wendi Ferreira of the styling duo Wendi and Nicole, who are attiring Oyelowo, Channing Tatum and Chris Pine for the Oscars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 19, 2015
Pledging eternal faithfulness, Frankie proceeds to support Johnnie, attiring him in "hundred-dollar" suits.
From Time Magazine Archive
And attiring himself in an apron of tarred stuff similar to the gloves, he fastened another of the same material upon Rollo.
From The Firebrand by Crockett, S. R. (Samuel Rutherford)
On the evening of Linklater's party, Pip arrived in the dormitory, as was his custom, shortly before ten, and after attiring himself in his pyjamas proceeded to his usual exercises.
From "Pip" A Romance of Youth by Hay, Ian
After enjoying a luxurious bath, and attiring himself in a suit of snowy-white gear, Frank descended to the dining-room.
From Captain Bayley's Heir: A Tale of the Gold Fields of California by Paget, H. M. (Henry Marriott)
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.
