embellishment

noun

em·​bel·​lish·​ment im-ˈbe-lish-mənt 

1

: the act or process of embellishing

2

: something serving to embellish

3

: ornament sense 5

Synonyms of embellishment

• ornamentation
• ornament
• decoration
• adornment

Examples of embellishment in a Sentence

a colorful mobile is just the embellishment that the soon-to-be nursery needs

the actor's penchant for embellishment suggests that his memoirs would be more appropriately shelved in the fiction section

Recent Examples on the Web

In the photo, Ella is posing for a photographer in a long-sleeve black gown covered in sparkling floral embellishments. —Emma Banks, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026

The logo was created in the style of Japanese family crests, with quatrefoils embellishments and stylized flowers. —Brandon Kaipo Moningka, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2026

The Dessert in the Desert press-on nails are festival-ready with intricate gold embellishments on top of a rich chocolate brown base color. —Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 3 Apr. 2026

Increasingly, human resources departments noticed that applicants used the résumé to tell white lies, and even bigger fibs, listing fictitious degrees, fake promotions and other embellishments. —Stephen Mihm, Twin Cities, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1