adornment
Americannoun
-
something that adds attractiveness; ornament; accessory.
the adornments and furnishings of a room.
-
ornamentation; embellishment.
personal adornment.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of adornment
1470–80; adorn + -ment; replacing late Middle English aournement < Middle French
Explanation
An adornment is some ornament or accent that makes a person or thing look more attractive. You might check out your hair in the mirror before a party and decide it needs an adornment — a hat or a glittery barrette. Tinsel draped on a Christmas tree is an adornment, and so are the fuzzy dice hanging on your car's rear view mirror. Lipstick is an adornment, and so is a polka dotted bow tie, since they both dress a person up a little bit. Another way to use adornment is to mean the act or process of decorating: "The adornment of the high school gym had transformed it into a winter wonderland." The Latin root is adornare, "equip or embellish."
Vocabulary lists containing adornment
"The Gift of the Magi"
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"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d" by Walt Whitman
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The Witch of Blackbird Pond
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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.
She wore a black sparkling gown with a luxurious silver, jewel-encrusted neck adornment.
From BBC ● May 4, 2026
Vaguely grunge in vibe, the track overtly recalls second feminism’s suspicion of feminine adornment.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
Canaanland is named for the promised land; its Faith Tabernacle can, and often does, hold 50,000 people in a building that resembles an aircraft hangar, its “almost sterile interior” suggesting that “hope is adornment enough.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 19, 2025
A moment where Ruth sees a woman wearing a potato chip clip as a hair adornment captures that atmosphere.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2025
The only adornment was a bit of lace at the neck and jet buttons down the front.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
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.
