trousers

American  

[trou-zerz] / ˈtraʊ zərz /

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. 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.

2. pantalets.

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trousers British  

/ ˈtraʊzəz /

plural noun

1. a garment shaped to cover the body from the waist to the ankles or knees with separate tube-shaped sections for both legs

2. US equivalent: wear the pants.  informal to have control, esp in a marriage

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Other Word Forms

• trousered adjective
• trouserless adjective

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:

• trousers vs. slacks

Example Sentences

Celebrities including Kendall Jenner and Damson Idris watched models styling their kits with flared trousers, distressed denim and micro-shorts.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

For some game men, that means awfully bright trousers, worn with a wink.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026

Balfe: To be able to walk around in proper wet weather gear and trousers and be able to go to the bathroom — not to be TMI, but it was so good.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026

In a Shanghai shopping centre, customers browsed racks of used winter coats, $2 trousers and household appliances -- pre-used items that would have been out of place in a major Chinese mall a decade ago.

From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026

She looked up from the table where she was mending an old pair of trousers.

From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler

Related Words

• knickers
• slacks