underwear

American

[uhn-der-wair] / ˈʌn dərˌwɛər /

noun

clothing worn next to the skin under outer clothes.

underwear British

/ ˈʌndəˌwɛə /

noun

Also called: underclothes. clothing worn under the outer garments, usually next to the skin

"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

Etymology

Origin of underwear

First recorded in 1870–75; under- + wear

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.

We aren’t yet seeing IPOs of companies that produce AI-enabled ketchup bottles or AI-integrated underwear.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026

CreateMe has designed robots that do this and the firm is already making women's underwear this way.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

I had all these orange clothes but I forgot to pack underwear or a change of socks.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

“Intruders have set fires, burning holes in the floors and scorching wood wainscoting and pews. Empty beef jerky bags, discarded underwear and clumps of plaster litter the worn burgundy carpeting.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

I wish I were three and could get all excited about underwear.

From "The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman" by Gennifer Choldenko

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

underwear

noun

noun

Etymology

Origin of underwear

Example Sentences

Related Words