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.

---

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

---

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

It’s high season in Palm Beach, Fla., and for some bold male dressers, that means awfully bright trousers, worn with a wink.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 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

The hack led to others sharing their top tips to save money when travelling, from stuffing clothes into a neck cushion to wearing cargo trousers with large pockets for extra storage.

From BBC • Mar. 3, 2026

That bit of rope couldn’t keep his trousers from drooping dangerously low, and the moths had made quite a meal out of his felt hat.

From "The Seven Wonders of Sassafras Springs" by Betty G. Birney

Related Words

• knickers
• slacks