couture

1 of 2

noun

cou·​ture kü-ˈtu̇r How to pronounce couture (audio) -ˈtᵫr How to pronounce couture (audio)
1
: the business of designing, making, and selling fashionable custom-made clothing
the world of Paris couture
2
: the designers and establishments engaged in couture
For more than a century, the couture was the undisputed fashion source for women in the Western world.Bernadine Morris
3
: the clothes created by couture
For them, buying French couture has become a status symbol, something to rack up along with their brand-new BMWs and their hacienda-style villas …Vogue

couture

2 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or being high-end custom-made fashion
Neither are these designers unduly concerned about styles that lend themselves to being folded and packed—the couture clientele travels with trunks, not duffel bags, and, presumably, there is always someone on the other end to take care of the wrinkles.Bernadine Morris
However, Owens credits his success to the ease of what he calls his "T-shirt versions of couture dresses."David Colman

Examples of couture in a Sentence

Noun The book discusses the relationship between culture and couture. I can't afford to wear couture.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
As Kering and Valentino restructure, the current ownership of the couture house, controlled by Mayhoola, will not change before 2028 at the earliest — an amendment to their shareholders’ agreement, inked at the time of Kering’s acquisition of a stake in Valentino in 2023. Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2025 Tailoring and construction are telltale indicators of quality, but not everyone can shell out for a custom couture ensemble. Abbey Hudetz, Travel + Leisure, 27 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The pandemic gave them the space and time to develop semi-couture line Judassime, with a first collection revealed in 2021, one day before the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ traditional annual student fashion showcase as a tongue-in-cheek nod to their unsuccessful applications. Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025 Focus showed a sneak peek of its brand-new trailer for Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, a whimsical, heartwarming comedy starring Lesley Manville as a British housekeeper whose dream of owning a couture Christian dress and travels to Paris. Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Apr. 2022 See All Example Sentences for couture

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French, from Old French cousture sewing, from Vulgar Latin *consutura, from Latin consutus, past participle of consuere to sew together, from com- + suere to sew — more at sew

First Known Use

Noun

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1916, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of couture was in 1908

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Cite this Entry

“Couture.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/couture. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

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