Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

waistband

American  
[weyst-band, -buhnd] / ˈweɪstˌbænd, -bənd /

noun

  • waistbands
    plural
  1. a band encircling the waist, especially as a part of a skirt or pair of trousers.


waistband British  
/ ˈweɪstˌbænd /

noun

  1. an encircling band of material to finish and strengthen a skirt or trousers at the waist

"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

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

Etymology

Origin of waistband

First recorded in 1575–85; waist + band 2

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.

See Examples For:

The waistband was high enough to give crush his lungs, but that didn't stop him recreating the video's fluid, technically-challenging choreography on stage.

From BBC Feb. 28, 2026

And then, they show one agent removing Pretti’s licensed handgun—which he was carrying in compliance with state law—from his waistband.

From Slate Jan. 25, 2026

Until the glasses and waistband computer are turned on, the implant has no visual stimulus or signal to pass through to the brain.

From Science Daily Oct. 20, 2025

According to a Granbury police report, an off-duty officer spotted a black pistol in a holster in Cliff Criswell’s waistband and alerted school and city police.

From Salon May 15, 2024

I felt in my bodice and again in my waistband, I shook out the folds of my sari, but there was no doubt the money was gone.

From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya

Among the new nonnegotiables: fleece vests instead of jackets and elastic waistbands instead of “hard pants,” i.e., anything with a zipper.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 28, 2025

So we sink into the couch, plates on laps, clothed in pants with elastic waistbands.

From Salon Nov. 1, 2025

"Our widening waistbands are also placing significant burden on our health service," he said in an opinion piece for the Telegraph.

From BBC Oct. 15, 2024

The Boston-based company started by graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology quickly reengineered the items, sticking in elastic waistbands and removing zippers.

From Seattle Times May 1, 2022

The other goods, tools, cake-mix boxes and so forth were tucked out of sight in our pockets and under our waistbands, surrounding us in a clanking armor.

From "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 12,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training