cardigan

noun

car·​di·​gan ˈkär-di-gən 

: a usually collarless sweater or jacket that opens the full length of the center front

Examples of cardigan in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The simple design can easily be tossed over a bathing suit for a pool day or styled with a cardigan on a breezy September day. —Rachel Trujillo, Travel + Leisure, 5 Aug. 2025

Standouts include a shawl-collar cardigan in sublime gradients of gray, a mustard sweater seemingly inspired by Gorse, the yellow flowered shrub commonly found in the Scottish border, as well as stoles in light beige and dark navy. —Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Aug. 2025

Neeson’s Drebin rips off his police uniform to reveal a cozy cardigan in an attempt to woo Davenport. —Barry Levitt, Time, 1 Aug. 2025

Pair it with loose palazzo pants or shorts to ride out the rest of the hot season, then warm it up with cardigans and jeans once temperatures drop. —Clara McMahon, People.com, 31 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

James Thomas Brudenell, 7th Earl of Cardigan †1868 English soldier

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

cardigan

noun

car·​di·​gan ˈkärd-i-gən 

: a usually collarless sweater opening down the front

Geographical Definition

Cardigan

geographical name

Car·​di·​gan ˈkär-di-gən 

variants or Cardiganshire

ˈkär-di-gən-ˌshir 

-shər

former county of western Wales; capital Aberystwyth