fashion

play

noun fash·ion \ ˈfa-shən \

Definition of fashion

1 a :the make or form of something

fashioned a sculpture of the general on his horse

fashioned a career in urban restoration
—Horace Sutton

b archaic :kind, sort

2 a :a distinctive or peculiar and often habitual manner or way

he will, after his sour fashion, tell you
—William Shakespeare

b :mode of action or operation

assembled in an orderly fashion

not even changing fashions in warfare have diminished the island's strategic importance
—Franc Shor

3 a :a prevailing custom, usage, or style

b (1) :the prevailing style (as in dress) during a particular time

The spring fashions are now on display.

(2) :a garment in such a style

always wears the latest fashions

c :social standing or prominence especially as signalized by dress or conduct

men and women of fashion

— after a fashion

:in an approximate or rough way

became an artist after a fashion

See fashion defined for English-language learners

See fashion defined for kids

Examples of fashion in a Sentence

Jewelry and clothing fashions vary with the season.
Short skirts have come back into fashion.
Those ruffled blouses went out of fashion years ago.
She always wears the latest fashions.
Literary fashions have changed in recent years.
We started the meeting in an orderly fashion.
We all lined up in orderly fashion.

Recent Examples of fashion from the Web

Want more local retail and fashion news in your inbox?

— kara lewis,, kansascity, "Keep it casual: where to buy fall hoodies and more in KC," 29 Aug. 2017
Amanda Rousseau is a malware researcher at Endgame and the founder of fashion-meets-cybersecurity blog VanitySec.

— amanda rousseau, Teen Vogue, "What Being a Female Hacker Is Really Like," 28 Aug. 2017
From public policy to high fashion to family ties, Mrs. Trump is keeping alive parts of the former first lady’s legacy even as President Donald Trump’s administration alters other aspects.

— Washington Post, "First lady appears to borrow from Michelle Obama’s playbook," 27 Aug. 2017
We were defeated in humiliating fashion while fighting a war for slavery.

— trae crowder, Esquire, "My Dad's Confederate Flag," 24 Aug. 2017
This seemed like the perfect project for me – being able to use my beloved arduino chip, design and populate a circuit board with circuits & fashion some kind of project case (altoids tin) to put it all in.

— eric limer, Popular Mechanics, "Lose the TV Remote? Just Build a New One.," 24 Aug. 2017
But Rivas wants them to go a step further, tapping into the region’s thriving tech, entertainment, and fashion sectors.

— julia herbst, Los Angeles Magazine, "11 Women Who Are Making L.A. a Better Place," 17 Aug. 2017
Her bold fashion choices also taught me a lot about wearing colorful clothes.

— andra chantim, Redbook, "The Stars of Bravo's Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce Spill on the New Season," 16 Aug. 2017
Since the beginning of mankind—or at least since the Roman Empire—humans have gathered to eat food in a communal fashion.

— vikki fraser, Town & Country, "The Worst Dining Habits of All Time, Ranked," 15 Aug. 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of fashion

Middle English facioun, fasoun shape, manner, from Anglo-French façun, fauschoun, from Latin faction-, factio act of making, faction, from facere to make — more at do

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

fashion Synonyms

Synonyms

buzz, chic, craze, dernier cri, enthusiasm, fad, flavor, go, hot ticket, last word, latest, mode, rage, sensation, style, ton, trend, vogue

Related Words

nine days' wonder (also nine day wonder); new wave; crush, infatuation; fervor, passion; furor, fuss, hullabaloo, to-do, uproar; bandwagon, crusade, cult, movement; novelty, wrinkle; caprice, fancy, whim

Near Antonyms

classic, standard

Synonym Discussion of fashion

fashion, style, mode, vogue, fad, rage, craze mean the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date. fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

- the current fashion

style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

- a media baron used to traveling in style

mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

- slim bodies are the mode at this resort

vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

- short skirts are back in vogue

fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

- last year's fad is over

rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

- Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
- crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

synonyms see in addition method

Other Fashion Terms

bodkin, chignon, cowlick, eau de toilette, imperial, pocket, pomander, tonsorial

fashion

verb

Definition of fashion

fashioned; fashioning play \ˈfash-niŋ, ˈfa-shᵊn-iŋ\

transitive verb

1 a :to give shape or form to :mold

b :alter, transform

c :to mold into a particular character by influencing or training

d :to make or construct usually with the use of imagination and ingenuity

fashion a lamp from an old churn

2 :fit, adapt

3 obsolete :contrive

—

fashioner

play \ˈfash-nər, ˈfa-shə-nər\ noun

See fashion defined for English-language learners

Examples of fashion in a Sentence

Students fashioned the clay into small figures.
She used the scraps of fabric to fashion a little doll's dress.
a table fashioned out of an old door

Recent Examples of fashion from the Web

Southern style, specifically fashion in Texas, is often misinterpreted.

— Southern Living, "Austin-Based Kendra Scott is Showing Their Love for Texas—Find Out How to Help," 28 Aug. 2017
Backing McConnell's new plan The vice president had high praise for Kentucky's senior senator, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who is trying to fashion a Trumpcare bill all members of his caucus will support.

— deborah yetter, The Courier-Journal, "Medicaid, Rand Paul, and more: 6 things to know about Vice President Mike Pence's speech," 12 July 2017
The director also said the men had fashioned fake heads out of toilet paper and put them in their beds, fooling officers at a 7:15 a.m. prisoner count.

— CBS News, "Kidnapper and repeat maximum security prison escapee Jimmy Causey recaptured," 7 July 2017
Assistant hitting coach Justin Mashore fashioned the protective device out of the top of a plastic bottle, using medical tape on the cut part to protect Perez’s skin.

— stefan stevenson, star-telegram, "Martin Perez returns with ‘high-tech’ protection for broken thumb," 2 July 2017
From beer festivals to good ol’ fashioned fire work shows, here’s a list of things to do during the (extended) Fourth of July weekend.

— leslie hackett, Pacific San Diego Magazine, "San Diego: This Weekend (June 29-July 4)," 29 June 2017
Working in a makeshift library fashioned out of sticks and plastic tarps, Sebastian Contreras, a Chilean volunteer at the FARC camp, was putting the doctors through their mathematical paces.

— jim wyss, miamiherald, "She’s performed amputations and saved hundreds of lives — without a medical degree," 16 June 2017
Cocktails include a barrel-aged old fashioned, the signature Empire Sunset (made with rum, vodka and citrus) and carafe cocktails, including a pineapple-jalapeno margarita and Prohibition Punch.

— CNN Travel, "8 of New York City's best rooftop bars," 13 June 2017
Her wrap dress was an immediate success, launching Diane to fashion superstardom at just 28 years old.

— katie robinson, Town & Country, "7 Things You Never Knew About Diane von Fürstenberg," 2 June 2017

Origin and Etymology of fashion

see ¹fashion

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

fashion Synonyms

Synonyms

acclimate, acclimatize, accommodate, adjust, condition, conform, doctor, edit, adapt, fit, put, shape, suit, tailor

Near Antonyms

misadjust

FASHION Defined for English Language Learners

fashion

play

noun

Definition of fashion for English Language Learners

: a popular way of dressing during a particular time or among a particular group of people
: the business of creating and selling clothes in new styles
fashions : clothes that are popular

fashion

verb

Definition of fashion for English Language Learners

: to form (something) into something else : to make (something) from something else

FASHION Defined for Kids

fashion

play

noun fash·ion \ ˈfa-shən \

Definition of fashion for Students

1 :the popular style of a thing at a certain time or among a certain group

2 :manner 2, way

“This trial will be conducted in an orderly fashion.”
—Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

Synonym Discussion of fashion

fashion, style, and fad mean the way that up-to-date people do things. fashion is used of any custom (as a way of dressing or behaving) that is widely accepted at any one time or place.