adornment

noun

adorn·​ment ə-ˈdȯrn-mənt 

1

: the action of adorning : the state of being adorned

2

: something that adorns

Synonyms

• ornamentation
• decoration
• ornament

Examples of adornment in a Sentence

the adornment of the walls with her paintings

Her room doesn't have any unnecessary adornments.

The entrance to the building has little adornment.

Recent Examples on the Web

Add on top a bottle design that, rather than falling into the cliché of having gem-like adornments, had Bulgari referencing its DNA with subtle sophistication via essential lines inspired by Roman columns and recalling a person’s neckline. —Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 17 June 2025

Aimee Lou Wood Aimee Lou Wood wears a complicated shorts suit with Hue tights and floral adornments on her heels. —Brendan Le, People.com, 6 May 2025

From facial structure to skin tone to cultural adornment, the series reclaims visibility and insists on inclusion in an industry that has long ignored it. —Sixteen Ramos, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2025

Both were for the young, the inexperienced, and for people whose reality was dull enough and sturdy enough to make fantasy or imagination a desirable escape or a necessary adornment. —Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adornement, borrowed from Anglo-French aurnement, from aurner, adourner "to adorn" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

adornment

noun

adorn·​ment ə-ˈdȯrn-mənt 

1

: the action of adorning : the state of being adorned

2

: something that adorns