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• style
  style

  noun

  a particular kind, sort, or type, as with reference to form, appearance, or character.
• -style
  -style

  a combining form of style.

style

¹ American  

[stahyl] / staɪl /

noun

• styles
  plural

1. 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.

2. a particular, distinctive, or characteristic mode of action or manner of acting.

   They do these things in a grand style.

   Synonyms:

   approach, method

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

4. an elegant, fashionable, or luxurious mode of living.

   to live in style.

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

   Synonyms:

   chic

6. 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.

7. 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.

8. manner or tone adopted in discourse or conversation.

   a patronizing style of addressing others.

9. 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.

   Synonyms:

   mark, characteristic, touch

10. a descriptive or distinguishing appellation, especially a legal, official, or recognized title.

    a firm trading under the style of Smith, Jones, & Co.

11. stylus.

12. the gnomon of a sundial.

13. a method of reckoning time.

14. Zoology. a small, pointed process or part.

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

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

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verb (used with object)

• styles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• styled,
  past participle,  past
• styling
  present participle

1. to call by a given title or appellation; denominate; name; call.

   The pope is styled His or Your Holiness.

2. to design or arrange in accordance with a given or new style.

   to style an evening dress; to style one's hair.

3. to bring into conformity with a specific style or give a specific style to.

   Please style this manuscript.

verb (used without object)

• styles,
  present (3rd person singular)
• styled,
  past participle,  past
• styling
  present participle

1. to do decorative work with a style or stylus.

idioms

1. go out of style, to become unfashionable.

   The jacket he's wearing went out of style ten years ago.

2. in style, fashionable.

-style ² American  

1. a combining form of style.

   blastostyle.

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-style ³ American  

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

   orthostyle; urostyle.

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style British  

/ staɪl /

noun

1. a form of appearance, design, or production; type or make

   a new style of house

2. the way in which something is done

   good or bad style

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

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

5. elegance or refinement of manners, dress, etc

6. prevailing fashion in dress, looks, etc

7. a fashionable or ostentatious mode of existence

   to live in style

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

9. the distinguishing title or form of address of a person or firm

10. botany the stalk of a carpel, bearing the stigma

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

12. a method of expressing or calculating dates See Old Style New Style

13. another word for stylus

14. the arm of a sundial

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verb

1. to design, shape, or tailor

   to style hair

2. to adapt or make suitable (for)

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

4. to name or call; designate

   to style a man a fool

5. (intr) to decorate objects using a style or stylus

style Scientific  

/ stīl /

1. 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.

2. See more at flower pollination

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style More Idioms  

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

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Synonym Usage

See fashion.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• antistyle
  noun
• counterstyle
  noun
• stylelessness
  noun
• styler
  noun
• misstyle
  verb
• restyle
  verb
• stylar
  adjective
• styleless
  adjective
• stylelike
  adjective
• unstyled
  adjective
• well-styled
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• styles
  plural

Participles

• styling
  present
• styled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• style
  simple
• styles
  simple
• have styled
  perfect
• has styled
  perfect
• am styling
  progressive
• are styling
  progressive
• is styling
  progressive
• have been styling
  perfect progressive
• has been styling
  perfect progressive

Past

• styled
  simple
• had styled
  perfect
• was styling
  progressive
• were styling
  progressive
• had been styling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will style
  simple
• will have styled
  perfect
• will be styling
  progressive
• will have been styling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of style¹

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

Origin of -style³

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

Explanation

Artists, musicians, and even chefs have their own personal style — a word used to describe the unique ways in which people express themselves. Style is a word that's often used to describe the distinctive way in which artists, designers, and other creative types practice their crafts. The designer who launches a line of cardboard bathing suits is expressing his style, even if no one else finds these soggy suits stylish, or in fashion, at the moment. When hyphenated, style can describe the qualities of a person or thing, as in "Cajun-style cooking."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

style -style styles styled styling

He said he is a city lover and noted that L.A. is “the most exciting city in the country, and that’s reflected in food, in culture, in style and expression. We just love being here.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

Orélien, who immigrated to Montreal after the Haiti earthquake in 2010, said in his statement that his style draws from Haiti and the Caribbean “where poetry, images, repetition and rhythm carry a living message.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026

VCSEs, external, a new style of vocational qualification unique to Wales, will be taught in schools and colleges from September 2027.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

Yes, her 2017 collection “Younger Now” had some country touches and included a guest spot from Ms. Parton, but she hasn’t yet fully embraced the style, despite the vast commercial potential.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

But with the bun tucked under, the waves, and a side part, the style resembled a marcelled bob.

From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu

Led by a Barcelona -style Lionel Messi, Argentina players appear convinced they will put an end to a 28-year title drought.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 9, 2021

Makan Delrahim, the new antitrust chief, inherited an Obama Justice Department staff leaning toward approving the deal with heavy Comcast -style conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 11, 2018

She was sent off across the world to spend some much-needed alone time being spruced up, -style, by Osbourne.

From The Guardian ● Jun. 20, 2013

Once executives prove themselves in a given area—say, software engineering—they rarely go through -style development programs to get exposure to a business’s full breadth.

From BusinessWeek ● Sep. 29, 2011

Beastly, another attempt at a -style teen-romance franchise, was third with $10.1 million, a bit above expectations.

From Time ● Mar. 29, 2011

Many stores carry iterations of the same styles, and in the wake of fast fashion, buying vintage clothing is the easiest way to be sure that what you’re wearing is different.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026

Some analysts say so-called “quiet luxury” — the understated but expensive styles found on TV shows like “Succession” — is on its way out, as shoppers turn to more ostentatious pieces.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026

It is particularly pertinent given the contrasting styles on Saturday.

From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026

My mom began as a New York model for fashion sketches that advertised the latest styles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026

In this unfamiliar setting Vincent has to learn about art and how to sell it—prints, paintings, reproductions, old art, newer art, art of different styles.

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman

He has styled himself as a "more moderate" version of his firebrand father, while relying heavily on his enduring political appeal.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

Zendaya recently wore an enormous white winged creation from the label to the premiere of “The Odyssey,” styled by longtime collaborator Law Roach.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

The scientists have also launched Fat Marmot Week, styled after Fat Bear Week, where the public can vote for their favourite rotund rodent in a bracket-style tournament at the end of August.

From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026

Getting your hair washed, cut and styled, though, will take a lot more time.

From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026

He was wearing white linen trousers with a blue jacket styled like a sailor’s, which went beautifully with the blue skirt and white jacket of his wife’s tailored suit.

From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende

This form of what Kotsoni calls "crazy styling" was on display at London Fashion Week - with the noisy clashes at Chopova Lowena, Sinead Gorey and Conner Ives.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Iconic fashion designer Bob Mackie, who has died aged 87, spent his career styling the biggest stars in his signature bedazzled, feathered and beaded couture.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

Having sales associates offer personal styling services completes the illusion of shopping in a far more upscale store.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026

GS: Building upon that iconic style foundation, what was your look when you started styling professionally?

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026

“Did you use that styling custard I suggested?”

From "Fast Pitch" by Nic Stone

Related Words

• approach
• behavior
• characteristic
• description
• design
• form
• genre
• habit
• kind
• method
• mode
• pattern
• spirit
• technique
• thing
• tone
• trait
• trend
• type
• variety