style

[ stahyl ]

/ staɪl /

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See synonyms for: style / styles / styling / styleless on Thesaurus.com

noun

a particular kind, sort, or type, as with reference to form, appearance, or character: the baroque style; The style of the house was too austere for their liking.

a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action or manner of acting: They do these things in a grand style.

a mode of living, as with respect to expense or display.

an elegant, fashionable, or luxurious mode of living: to live in style.

a mode of fashion, as in dress, especially good or approved fashion; elegance; smartness.

the mode of expressing thought in writing or speaking by selecting and arranging words, considered with respect to clearness, effectiveness, euphony, or the like, that is characteristic of a group, period, person, personality, etc.: to write in the style of Faulkner; a familiar style; a pompous, pedantic style.

those components or features of a literary composition that have to do with the form of expression rather than the content of the thought expressed: His writing is all style and no substance.

manner or tone adopted in discourse or conversation: a patronizing style of addressing others.

a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode or form of construction or execution in any art or work: Her painting is beginning to show a personal style.

a descriptive or distinguishing appellation, especially a legal, official, or recognized title: a firm trading under the style of Smith, Jones, & Co.

stylus (defs. 1, 2).

the gnomon of a sundial.

a method of reckoning time.Compare New Style, old style (def. 2).

Zoology. a small, pointed process or part.

Botany. a narrow, usually cylindrical and more or less filiform extension of the pistil, which, when present, bears the stigma at its apex.

the rules or customs of typography, punctuation, spelling, and related matters used by a newspaper, magazine, publishing house, etc., or in a specific publication.

verb (used with object), styled, styl·ing.

to call by a given title or appellation; denominate; name; call: The pope is styled His or Your Holiness.

to design or arrange in accordance with a given or new style: to style an evening dress; to style one's hair.

to bring into conformity with a specific style or give a specific style to: Please style this manuscript.

verb (used without object), styled, styl·ing.

to do decorative work with a style or stylus.

OTHER WORDS FOR style

2 method, approach.

5 chic.

9 touch, characteristic, mark.

22 designate, address.

See synonyms for style on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

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There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about style

go out of style, to become unfashionable: The jacket he's wearing went out of style ten years ago.

in style, fashionable.

Origin of style

First recorded in 1350–1400; (noun) Middle English, from Latin stylus, spelling variant, mistakenly associated with Greek stŷlos “pillar, column,” of stilus “tool for writing,” hence, “written composition, style”; see stylus; (verb) from the noun, first recorded in 1560–80

synonym study for style

5. See fashion.

OTHER WORDS FROM style

styleless, adjectivestyle·less·ness, nounstylelike, adjectivean·ti·style, noun

coun·ter·style, nounmis·style, verb, mis·styled, mis·styl·ing.re·style, verb, re·styled, re·styl·ing.un·styled, adjectivewell-styled, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH style

stile, style

Other definitions for style (2 of 3)

-style¹

a combining form of style (defs. 14, 15): blastostyle.

Compare stylo-¹.

Other definitions for style (3 of 3)

-style²

a combining form with the meanings “column,” “columned,” “having columns (of the kind specified)” used in the formation of compound words: orthostyle; urostyle.

Compare stylo-².

Origin of -style

<Greek stŷlos column or -stȳlos -columned, adj. derivative of stŷlos

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use style in a sentence

These cost around $20 from the market in Leh, India, and were of a similar style to the boots David-Néel would have worn.
Recreating Historical Adventures in Old-Fashioned Gear|Ailsa Ross|November 12, 2020|Outside Online
Despite similar parenting styles, I see two very different children in my nanny share.
Why one child can be more ‘difficult’ than another|Meghan Leahy|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
Linebacker Jon Bostic acknowledged the disappointment, especially because Washington had seen those style of runs before.
Washington football notes: Run-stop struggles, and the future at quarterback|Sam Fortier|November 10, 2020|Washington Post
In 2012, she opened her own restaurant, the acclaimed Cardamom Hill, a precursor to the style of cooking she would later write about in “My Two Souths.”
Asha Gomez made her name as an Indian American chef. But she’s tired of being pigeonholed.|Nikhita Venugopal|November 9, 2020|Washington Post

It’s the earliest known example of this “ballistic tongue” style of predation, researchers say.
An ancient amphibian is the oldest known animal with a slingshot tongue|Carolyn Gramling|November 5, 2020|Science News

British Dictionary definitions for style

style

/ (staɪl) /

noun

a form of appearance, design, or production; type or makea new style of house

the way in which something is donegood or bad style

the manner in which something is expressed or performed, considered as separate from its intrinsic content, meaning, etc

a distinctive, formal, or characteristic manner of expression in words, music, painting, etc

elegance or refinement of manners, dress, etc

prevailing fashion in dress, looks, etc

a fashionable or ostentatious mode of existenceto live in style

the particular mode of orthography, punctuation, design, etc, followed in a book, journal, etc, or in a printing or publishing house

mainly British the distinguishing title or form of address of a person or firm

botany the stalk of a carpel, bearing the stigma

zoology a slender pointed structure, such as the piercing mouthparts of certain insects

a method of expressing or calculating datesSee Old Style, New Style

another word for stylus (def. 1)

the arm of a sundial

verb (mainly tr)

to design, shape, or tailorto style hair

to adapt or make suitable (for)

to make consistent or correct according to a printing or publishing style

to name or call; designateto style a man a fool

(intr) to decorate objects using a style or stylus

Derived forms of style

stylar, adjectivestyler, noun

Word Origin for style

C13: from Latin stylus, stilus writing implement, hence characteristics of the writing, style

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for style

style

[ stīl ]

The slender part of a flower pistil, connecting the ovary and the stigma. The pollen tube grows through the style delivering the pollen nuclei to the ovary. See more at flower pollination.

Other Idioms and Phrases with style

style

see cramp someone's style; go out (of style); in fashion (style).

style

OTHER WORDS FOR style

Idioms about style

Origin of style

synonym study for style

OTHER WORDS FROM style

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH style

Other definitions for style (2 of 3)

Other definitions for style (3 of 3)

Origin of -style

Words related to style

How to use style in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for style

Derived forms of style

Word Origin for style

Scientific definitions for style

Other Idioms and Phrases with style