attire

1 of 2

verb

at·tire ə-ˈtī(-ə)r

attired; attiring

Synonyms of attire next

transitive verb

: to put garments on : dress, array

… proceeded to attire herself for a professional visit.—

Charles Dickens

The guests were formally attired. [=wearing formal clothing]

especially : to clothe in fancy or rich garments

dancers attired in colorful costumes

attire

2 of 2

noun

: dress, clothes

business attire

especially : splendid or decorative clothing

the queen in her royal attire

: the antlers or antlers and scalp of a stag or buck

Examples of attire in a Sentence

Verb men attired in tuxedos for the awards banquet Noun Proper attire is required at the restaurant. needed some snazzy attire for the job interview

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The troops are attired more Silicon Valley than Wall Street in jeans or slacks (nary a suit, tie or cufflink in sight). —

Shawn Tully, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023 The two military officers, crisply attired in blue dress uniforms, ascended the front porch of a single-family home. —

Dan Lamothe, Washington Post, 29 May 2023 Nation/World The two military officers, crisply attired in blue dress uniforms, ascended the front porch of a single-family home. —

Alex Horton and Dan Lamothe, Anchorage Daily News, 30 May 2023 Save on swimsuits, beach towels, water shoes, and attire through Monday, May 29. —

Claire Harmeyer, Peoplemag, 26 May 2023 Hodges wore her trademark bell bottoms and broad-brimmed hat, while Hodges was also suitably attired in a bolo tie and cowboy hat. —

Philip Ellis, Men's Health, 14 May 2023 Abu Akleh and her experienced crew were attired in the same sort of marked protective gear when they were fired on. —

Steve Hendrix, Washington Post, 9 May 2023 Fans frantically reached for their pockets to grab their phones and snap pictures of Ortiz, attired in black from head to toe. —

John Hilliard, BostonGlobe.com, 18 Apr. 2023 The affable team owner, often attired in casual clothes and a ballcap, is one of their own. —

Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2023

Noun

For more casual days that call for the ultimate in comfy attire, these fleece pants fit the bill. —

Brittany Vanderbill, Peoplemag, 29 Sep. 2023 Business attire will likely be the norm at tonight’s Republican debate – no shorts or hoodies are expected at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. —

WSJ, 28 Sep. 2023 Washington — Days after relaxing its unofficial dress code, the Senate passed a resolution requiring business attire when senators are on the floor of the chamber. —

Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2023 Madonna in her wedding attire claimed that power as her own. —

Mary Gabriel, Rolling Stone, 27 Sep. 2023 There are also the financial implications of RTO, like buying new office attire. —

Alicia Adamczyk, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023 The two arrived in formal Filipino attire and were teased by good-natured friends. —

Rosalie R. Radomsky, New York Times, 22 Sep. 2023 Much has been declared about the new office attire and how our perspective on business casual has shifted since the pandemic. —

José Criales-Unzueta, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2023 Eras attire, friendship bracelets, singing and dancing encouraged. —

Rania Aniftos, Billboard, 1 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'attire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French atirer to equip, prepare, attire, from a- (from Latin ad-) + tire order, rank, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English tīr glory, ornament

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of attire was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century