decoration

D2E1C3O1R1A1T1I1O1N1
/ˌdɛkəˈɹeɪʃən/

noun

The act of adorning, embellishing, or honoring; ornamentation.

CommonScrabble 13

Meanings

noundecoration (countable and uncountable, plural decorations)

plural decorations

  1. countableuncountableThe act of adorning, embellishing, or honoring; ornamentation.
  2. countableuncountableAny item that adorns, enriches, or beautifies; something added by way of embellishment or ornamentation.
    2 more examples

    There were many wooden chairs for the bulk of his visitors, and two wicker armchairs with red cloth cushions for superior people. From the packing-cases had emerged some Indian clubs,[…], and all these articles[…] made a scattered and untidy decoration that Mrs. Clough assiduously dusted and greatly cherished.

    1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC

    At the very moment he cried out, David realised that what he had run into was only the Christmas tree. Disgusted with himself at such cowardice, he spat a needle from his mouth, stepped back from the tree and listened. There were no sounds of any movement upstairs: no shouts, no sleepy grumbles, only a gentle tinkle from the decorations as the tree had recovered from the collision.

    1994, Stephen Fry, chapter 2, in The Hippopotamus
  3. countableuncountableSpecifically, any mark of honor to be worn upon the person, as a medal, cross, or ribbon of an order of knighthood, bestowed for services in war, great achievements in literature, art, etc.
  4. countableuncountablebiochemistryThe use of exotic sugars as decoys to distract the immune system of a host
  5. Hong KongcountableuncountableRefurbishment; renovation

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsomething used to beautify

nounan award for winning a championship or commemorating some other event

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchdécoration
  2. Latindecoratio
  3. Englishdecoration

From Latin decoratio: compare French décoration. Morphologically decorate + -ion.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic زينة
  • زينة (zīna)that which adorns
Bulgarian украсяване, украса
  • украсяване (ukrasjavane)act of adorning
  • украса (ukrasa)that which adorns
  • украшение (ukrašenie)that which adorns
  • орден (orden)any mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Catalan decoració, decoració
  • decoracióact of adorning
  • decoracióthat which adorns
Chinese Mandarin 裝飾 /装饰, 裝飾品 /装饰品
  • 裝飾 /装饰 (zhuāngshì)act of adorning
  • 裝飾品 /装饰品 (zhuāngshìpǐn)that which adorns
Czech výzdoba, ozdoba
  • výzdobaact of adorning
  • ozdobaact of adorning
  • výzdobathat which adorns
  • ozdobathat which adorns
Danish dekoration, udsmykning
  • dekorationact of adorning
  • udsmykningact of adorning
  • dekorationthat which adorns
  • udsmykningthat which adorns
Dutch versieren, decoratie
  • versierenact of adorning
  • decoratieact of adorning
  • versieringthat which adorns
  • decoratiethat which adorns
  • decoratieany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
  • medailleany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Esperanto ornamaĵo
  • ornamaĵothat which adorns
Finnish koristelu, koriste
  • koristeluact of adorning
  • koristethat which adorns
  • kunniamerkkiany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
  • ansiomerkkiany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
  • ansioristiany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
French décoration, décoration
  • décorationact of adorning
  • décorationthat which adorns
  • décorationany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
German Dekorieren, Verschönern
  • Dekorierenact of adorning
  • Verschönernact of adorning
  • Dekorationthat which adorns
  • Verschönerungthat which adorns
  • Auszeichnungany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Greek διακόσμηση, διακόσμηση
  • διακόσμηση (diakósmisi)act of adorning
  • διακόσμηση (diakósmisi)that which adorns
Hindi अलंकार, सजावट
  • अलंकार (alaṅkār)act of adorning
  • सजावट (sajāvaṭ)act of adorning
  • सजावट (sajāvaṭ)that which adorns
  • आभरण (ābhraṇ)that which adorns
Hungarian díszítés, ékítés
  • díszítésact of adorning
  • ékítésact of adorning
  • dekorációact of adorning
  • díszthat which adorns
  • díszítménythat which adorns
  • dekorációthat which adorns
  • kitüntetésany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
  • éremany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
  • érdemrendany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
  • rendjelany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Irish oirnéaladh, maisiú
  • oirnéaladhact of adorning
  • maisiúact of adorning
  • maisiúchánthat which adorns
  • suaitheantasany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Italian decorazione, decorazione
  • decorazioneact of adorning
  • decorazionethat which adorns
  • decorazioneany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Japanese 装飾, 装飾
  • 装飾 (sōshoku)act of adorning
  • 装飾 (sōshoku)that which adorns
  • 飾り (kazari)that which adorns
  • デコレーション (dekorēshon)that which adorns
Korean 장식, 장식
  • 장식 (jangsik)act of adorning
  • 장식 (jangsik)that which adorns
  • 데코레이션 (dekoreisyeon)that which adorns
Malay penghiasan, hiasan
  • penghiasanact of adorning
  • hiasanthat which adorns
  • dekorasithat which adorns
  • dekorasiany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Norwegian Bokmål dekorasjon, utsmykking
  • dekorasjonact of adorning
  • utsmykkingact of adorning
  • dekorasjonthat which adorns
  • utsmykkingthat which adorns
  • dekorasjonany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Polish dekoracja, ozdoba
  • dekoracjaact of adorning
  • ozdobaact of adorning
  • dekoracjathat which adorns
  • ozdobathat which adorns
  • dekoracjaany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Portuguese decoração, decoração
  • decoraçãoact of adorning
  • decoraçãothat which adorns
  • condecoraçãoany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Romanian decorare, împodobire
  • decorareact of adorning
  • împodobireact of adorning
  • înfrumusețareact of adorning
  • decorațiethat which adorns
  • ornamentthat which adorns
  • ornamentațiethat which adorns
  • decorațieany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Russian украше́ние, украше́ние
  • украше́ние (ukrašénije)act of adorning
  • украше́ние (ukrašénije)that which adorns
  • декора́ция (dekorácija)that which adorns
  • награ́да (nagráda)any mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Slovak dekorácia
  • dekoráciathat which adorns
Spanish decoración, decoración
  • decoraciónact of adorning
  • decoraciónthat which adorns
  • condecoraciónany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Swahili pambo
  • pambothat which adorns
Swedish dekoration, dekorering
  • dekorationact of adorning
  • dekoreringact of adorning
  • dekorationthat which adorns
Tagalog dayan, palamuti
  • dayanthat which adorns
  • palamutithat which adorns
Turkish dekorasyon, süsleme
  • dekorasyonact of adorning
  • süslemeact of adorning
  • bezekthat which adorns
  • süsthat which adorns
  • ziynetthat which adorns
  • nişanany mark of honor to be worn upon the person
Ukrainian прикра́са, оздо́ба
  • прикра́са (prykrása)that which adorns
  • оздо́ба (ozdóba)that which adorns
Urdu سجاوٹ
  • سجاوٹ (sjāoṭ)that which adorns

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with decoration

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

decoration. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decoration

MLA

“decoration.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decoration. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “decoration,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/decoration.

Source: decoration on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.