Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

1

attire

play
verb at·tire \ə-ˈtī(-ə)r\

Definition of attire

attired

;

attiring
  1. transitive verb

  2. :  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

See attire defined for kids

Indulge Your Inner Word Nerd

istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz
alt-594d2b6325245
'Pride': The Word That Went From Vice to Strength
image599301899
Pretty in 'Pink'
alt-594ab41a604d2
Trending: Kim and Kanye Might Have Hired a Surrogate Mother

Examples of attire in a Sentence

  1. men attired in tuxedos for the awards banquet

Origin and Etymology of attire

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: 14th century

attire Synonyms

Synonyms
apparel, array, clothe, bedeck, caparison, costume, deck (out), do up, dress, dress up, enrobe, garb, garment, get up, gown, habit, invest, rig (out), robe, suit, tog (up or out), toilet, vesture
Antonyms
disarray, disrobe, strip, unclothe, undress, untruss [archaic]
Related Words
cloak, frock, jacket, mantle, vest; drape, enswathe, hap [dialect], huddle, swaddle, swathe, wrap; accoutre (or accouter), bedight [archaic], equip, furnish, habilitate, outfit, tailor, uniform; dress down, underdress
Near Antonyms
denude, divest, uncover, undrape, unveil
2

attire

noun at·tire

Definition of attire

  1. 1 :  dress, clothes business attire; especially :  splendid or decorative clothing the queen in her royal attire

  2. 2 :  the antlers or antlers and scalp of a stag or buck

See attire defined for English-language learners

Examples of attire in a Sentence

  1. Proper attire is required at the restaurant.

  2. needed some snazzy attire for the job interview

Origin and Etymology of attire

see 1attire


First Known Use: 13th century

attire Synonyms

Synonyms
apparel, clothing, clobber [British slang], clothes, costumery, dress, duds, garments, gear, habiliment (s), habit [archaic], rags, raiment, rig, rigging, threads, toggery, togs, vestiary, vestments, vesture, wear, wearables, weeds
Related Words
garderobe, wardrobe; array, bravery, caparison, finery, gaiety (also gayety), glad rags, pretties, regalia, trim; foofaraw, frippery, gaudery, tawdry, trumpery [archaic]; tatters; costume, ensemble, frock, garb, getup, guise, livery, outfit; civvies (also civies), mufti; couture, prêt-à-porter (or pret-a-porter), ready-to-wear, tailoring; activewear, loungewear, outerwear, playwear, sportswear; nightclothes, sleepwear, smallclothes, underclothes, underwear; haberdashery, menswear

Other Clothing Terms

babushka, brogue, bumbershoot, cravat, dishabille, furbelow, layette, raiment, spectator

ATTIRE Defined for English Language Learners

attire

noun

Definition of attire for English Language Learners

  • : clothing

ATTIRE Defined for Kids

1

attire

play
verb at·tire \ə-ˈtīr\

Definition of attire for Students

attired

;

attiring

  1. :  to put clothes and especially special or fine clothes on The dancers attired themselves in colorful costumes.

2

attire

play
noun at·tire

Definition of attire for Students

  1. :  clothing beach attire

Learn More about attire

  1. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for attire Spanish Central: Translation of attire Nglish: Translation of attire for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of attire for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about attire

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up attire? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

perspicuous

play

clear to the understanding

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. surrogate mother From TMZ to the dictionary.

  2. zealot A fanatical partisan

  3. stonewall to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive

  4. scurrilous Containing obscenities, abuse, or slander

  5. depose That word might not mean what you think it means.

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

attire

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

  • istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
  • Which is a synonym of garner?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-594d2b6325245
'Pride': The Word That Went From Vice to Strength

Do you take pride in Pride?

image599301899
Pink: The Color that Will Change Your Life

From Fuchsia to Baker-Miller Pink

image2144101468
That Sucks Word Alternatives

Your day is the worst. Your vocabulary is the best.

alt-5931949575ca5
'All the Feels,' All the Time

Once more, with 'feels'

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

istock-refers-to-this-as-a-tumble-of-strawberries-which-sounded-pretty-nice-to-us
June 2017 Words of the Day Quiz

Summer's first WOTD quiz.

Take the quiz
alt-5941ad7527c3c
Yearbook Superlatives Quiz

Is that your picture under "Largest Vocabulary"?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: attire in a Sentence