trousers
Americannoun
-
Also called pants. Sometimes a usually loose-fitting outer garment for the lower part of the body, having individual leg portions that reach typically to the ankle but sometimes to any of various other points from the upper leg down.
plural noun
-
a garment shaped to cover the body from the waist to the ankles or knees with separate tube-shaped sections for both legs
-
US equivalent: wear the pants. informal to have control, esp in a marriage
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of trousers
1585–95; trouse (variant of trews ) + (draw)ers (in the sense “undergarment with legs”)
Compare meaning
How does trousers compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
The enduring image of Sand as a dashing figure in trousers threatens to undermine some of her traditionally feminine qualities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Sirius Academy West in Hull has hosted its first uniform approval day of the summer so children's trousers and skirts could be checked.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Michael Kors is pairing triangle bralettes with trousers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
At the time of the attack, Abdul B is believed to have been wearing a black hooded top and white trousers.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
Camarada Paixão Paishon, who had proved his mettle working in the wilderness for Rondon’s Telegraph Commission, labored so hard that his trousers were shredded.
From "Death on the River of Doubt" by Samantha Seiple
![]()
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.