accoutrement

noun

ac·​cou·​tre·​ment ə-ˈkü-trə-mənt  ə-ˈkü-tər-mənt 

variants or accouterment

ə-ˈkü-tər-mənt 

1

a

: equipment, trappings

specifically : a soldier's outfit usually not including clothes and weapons

—usually used in plural

b

: an accessory item of clothing or equipment

—usually used in plural

Shops offering the physical accoutrements of polite manners—lace, gloves, linen underclothing, snuff, and gentleman's powdered wigs …

—Arthur Herman

2

: an identifying and often superficial characteristic or device

—usually used in plural

… some of the other accouterments of power that define our diplomacy.

—Elizabeth Drew

3

archaic : the act of accoutring

Did you know?

Tracing Accoutrement Back to Old French

Accoutrement and its rarer relative accoutre, a verb meaning "to provide with equipment or furnishings" or "to outfit," have been appearing in English texts since the 16th century. Today both words have variant spellings—accouterment and accouter. The pair's French ancestor, accoutrer, descends from an Old French word meaning "seam" and ultimately traces to the Latin word consuere, meaning "to sew together." Some etymological stitching is visible in another English word: couture, a word referring to the business of making fashionable clothes, as well as to the clothes themselves, is also a descendant of consuere.

Synonyms of accoutrement

• accessory
• option
• appliance

Examples of accoutrement in a Sentence

this vacuum cleaner has all of the accoutrements for cleaning furniture as well as floors

has all the accoutrements that the home pastry chef could ever want

Recent Examples on the Web

These accoutrements really make the dish sing by adding flavor and balance to each bite, with the cheese enhancing the savory nuttiness of the brown butter and the lemon’s brightness keeping it from feeling too heavy. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

Hodges watched the crowd flow by, noting that a significant number wore tactical gear such as helmets, goggles, and ballistic vests—not the sort of accoutrements people typically wear to peaceably listen to speeches. —Jamie Thompson, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2026

McDermid’s nonfiction meditation on the winter season and all its accompanying traditions and accoutrements sounds like the perfect book to curl up with on a snowy day. —Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Jan. 2026

Interior accoutrements are top-line, as expected. —James Raia, Mercury News, 4 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French accoutrement, accoustrement, from accoutrer "to accoutre" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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Kids Definition

accoutrement

noun

ac·​cou·​tre·​ment

variants or accouterment

ə-ˈkü-trə-mənt  -ˈküt-ər-mənt 

: an accessory item of clothing or equipment

—usually used in plural