clothe

verb \ ˈklōt͟h \

Definition of clothe

clothed or clad play \ˈklad\; clothing

transitive verb

1 a :to cover with or as if with cloth or clothing :dress

b :to provide with clothes

the cost of feeding and clothing a family

2 :to express or enhance by suitably significant language :couch

treaties clothed in stately phraseology

3 :to endow especially with power or a quality

the nobility in which religion and history can clothe humanity
—D. R. Wallace

See clothe defined for English-language learners

See clothe defined for kids

Examples of clothe in a Sentence

the cost of feeding and clothing your children
they liked to clothe the twins in identical outfits just to confuse people

Recent Examples of clothe from the Web

He was discovered around 9:05 a.m. Sunday fully clothed with injuries to his face, police said.

— pioneer press, chicagotribune.com, "Police identify man found dead outside of Buffalo Grove apartment complex," 17 Aug. 2017
CLOTHES Favorite article of clothing My pink Prada coat.

— vanityfair.com, "A Categorical Guide to Bianca Jagger’s Favorite Stuff," 15 Aug. 2017
The polo-clad, torch-bearing congregants in Charlottesville did not seem similarly burdened.

— jay willis, GQ, "Nazis Don’t Seem to Understand How Free Speech Works," 14 Aug. 2017
The 767 Boeing wide-body jets is clad with the team logo, its red white and blue colors as well as five Lombardi trophies depicted on the tail.

— chris chavez, SI.com, "Patriots Become First NFL Team To Own Their Own Planes," 8 Aug. 2017
Outside, supporters of President Nicolás Maduro, clad in the ruling socialist party’s signature red, surrounded the Congress and celebrated with tricolor flags, live music and spontaneous dancing.

— cody weddle and patricia mazzei, miamiherald, "Venezuela installs new all-powerful assembly rejected by U.S.," 4 Aug. 2017
Resiles, clad in a white T-shirt and black shorts, ran down a nearby stairwell to a waiting car, driven by his friends, and remained on the lam for six days before he was arrested on July 20 at a motel in Riviera Beach.

— paula mcmahon, Sun-Sentinel.com, "'Collapse in security' helped Broward inmate pull off courthouse escape, sheriff's investigation shows," 27 July 2017
Clothing descriptions and direction of travel are unknown at this time, Meadows said.

— jonece starr dunigan, AL.com, "Irondale police search for two suspects after shots were fired during burglary," 18 July 2017
Increasingly elaborate choreography unfolds over the course of the four-minute song until Isaac Lamb, clad in a black tux, emerges.

— eder campuzano, OregonLive.com, "As Bruno Mars prepares for Portland, he wants you to remember the good ol' days," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'clothe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of clothe

Middle English, from Old English clāthian, from clāth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

See Words from the same year

clothe Synonyms

Synonyms

apparel, array, attire, 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

CLOTHE Defined for English Language Learners

clothe

verb

Definition of clothe for English Language Learners

: to provide (someone) with clothes
: to dress (someone) in a particular type of clothing

CLOTHE Defined for Kids

clothe

verb \ ˈklōt͟h \

Definition of clothe for Students

clothed or clad \ˈklad\; clothing

1 :to cover with or as if with clothing :dress

2 :to provide with clothes

Learn More about clothe

See words that rhyme with clothe Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for clothe Spanish Central: Translation of clothe Nglish: Translation of clothe for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of clothe for Arabic speakers

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