Meanings
plural apparels
- uncountableClothing.
fresh in his new apparel, proud and young
1636 (date written), John Denham, “The Destruction of Troy, an Essay upon the Second Book of Virgils Æneis”, in Poems and Translations, with The Sophy, London: […] [John Macock] for H[enry] Herringman […], published 1668, →OCLC - countablefigurativelyuncountableAspect, guise, form.
At public devotions, her winning modesty, her resigned carriage, made virtue and religion appear with new ornaments, and in the natural apparel of simplicity and beauty.
1709 August 23 (Gregorian calendar), Isaac Bickerstaff [et al., pseudonyms; Richard Steele et al.], “Friday, August 13, 1709”, in The Tatler, number 54; republished in [Richard Steele], editor, The Tatler, […], London stereotype edition, volume I, London: I. Walker and Co.; […], 1822, →OCLC - countableA small ornamental piece of embroidery worn on albs and some other ecclesiastical vestments.
- countableuncountablenauticalFurniture of a ship, such as masts, sails, rigging, anchors, guns, etc.
And if there is need of any thing, such as ship's apparel or other necessaries, and the merchants desire to purchase them, they may do so, and when the voyage is concluded, the merchants may claim for themselves the things which they have bought for the ship or vessel
1871, Travis Twiss, Black Book of the Admiralty
present singular third person apparels · US participle present appareling · UK participle present apparelling · US participle past appareled · US past appareled · UK participle past apparelled · UK past apparelled
- transitiveTo dress or clothe; to attire.
They which are gorgeously appareled, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts.
1568, Bishops' Bible, Luke vii. 251 more example
presently entered a baron and an earl appareled after the Turkish fashion in long robes of bawdkin powdered with gold
1881, Mark Twain, The Prince and the Pauper
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out.
verbTo dress with external ornaments; to cover with something ornamental
to dress
More synonyms by meaning
verbprovide with clothes or put clothes on
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Old Frenchapareillier
- Englishapparel
From Old French apareillier. Doublet of parrel.
More words from Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans kleding, drag
- kledingclothing
- dragclothing
- gewaadclothing
Arabic مَلَابِس, أَلْبِسَة
- مَلَابِس (malābis)clothing
- أَلْبِسَة (ʔalbisa)clothing
Bulgarian облекло́, дре́хи
- облекло́ (oblekló)clothing
- дре́хи (dréhi)clothing
- оде́жда (odéžda)clothing
- обличам (obličam)to dress or clothe
- украсявам (ukrasjavam)to deck
- снаряжавам (snarjažavam)to furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out
Chinese Mandarin 服饰
- 服饰 (fúshì)clothing
Dutch kleding
- kledingclothing
Esperanto vestado
- vestadoclothing
Finnish vaatetus, vaatteet
- vaatetusclothing
- vaatteetclothing
- vaateclothing
- asuclothing
- pukuclothing
- pukeato dress or clothe
- sonnustautuato dress or clothe
- koristellato deck
- koristaato deck
- varustaato furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out
French vêtements
- vêtementsclothing
Hebrew ביגוד, הלביש
- ביגוד (bigúd)clothing
- הלביש (hilbísh)to dress or clothe
- עיטר (itér)to deck
Hindi परिधान
- परिधान (paridhān)clothing
Italian abbigliamento
- abbigliamentoclothing
Korean 의복, 의류
- 의복 (uibok)clothing
- 의류 (uiryu)clothing
- 복장 (bokjang)clothing
- 입히다 (iphida)to dress or clothe
- 꾸미다 (kkumida)to deck
- 장비하다 (jangbihada)to furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out
Latin vestītus
- vestītusclothing
Māori weruweru, weweru
- weruweruclothing
- weweruclothing
- ko(w)hekaclothing
- kōwhekawhekaclothing
- pakikauclothing
Norwegian antrekk, påkledning
- antrekkclothing
- påkledningclothing
Polish odzież, strój
- odzieżclothing
- strójclothing
- ubranieclothing
- odziewaćto dress or clothe
- odziaćto dress or clothe
- stroićto dress or clothe
- wystrajaćto dress or clothe
- wystroićto dress or clothe
- ubieraćto dress or clothe
- ubraćto dress or clothe
- dekorowaćto deck
- udekorowaćto deck
- wystrajaćto deck
- wystroićto deck
- wyposażaćto furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out
Portuguese vestimenta, vestir
- vestimentaclothing
- vestirto dress or clothe
Russian оде́жда, одева́ть
- оде́жда (odéžda)clothing
- одева́ть (odevátʹ)to dress or clothe
- оде́ть (odétʹ)to dress or clothe
- наряжа́ть (narjažátʹ)to dress or clothe
- наряди́ть (narjadítʹ)to dress or clothe
- наряжат́ь (narjažat́ʹ)to deck
- наряди́ть (narjadítʹ)to deck
- украша́ть (ukrašátʹ)to deck
- укра́сить (ukrásitʹ)to deck
- снаряжа́ть (snarjažátʹ)to furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out
- снаряди́ть (snarjadítʹ)to furnish with apparatus; to equip; to fit out
Spanish atavío, ropa
- atavíoclothing
- ropaclothing
Welsh gwisgiad, gwisgiadau
- gwisgiadclothing
- gwisgiadauclothing
Cite this entry
apparel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apparel
“apparel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apparel. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apparel,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apparel.
Source: apparel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.