finery

noun fin·ery \ ˈfīn-rē , ˈfī-nə- \

Updated on: 26 Apr 2018

Definition of finery

plural fineries

: ornament, decoration; especially : dressy or showy clothing and jewels

See finery defined for English-language learners

See finery defined for kids

Examples of finery in a Sentence

She was proud to show off her new evening finery.
the guests arrived at the wedding in all their finery

Recent Examples of finery from the Web

The stately pace of the animation accelerates as the animators use rough brush lines to show her ripping off her finery to touch leaves and flowers.

— charles solomon, latimes.com, "Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata was a true poet of Japanese animation," 9 Apr. 2018
By midday, hundreds were pouring through the gates for the final day of the 20-day rodeo, eager to soak in one more day of fun, food and Western finery.

— dug begley, Houston Chronicle, "Cloudy day doesn’t ruin Rodeo’s ride into the sunset," 18 Mar. 2018
The 90th Academy Awards stage was full of fancy people in fancy finery, as well as one guy in sneakers and sunglasses.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "The Internet Wants to Party With the Gentleman Oscar Winner Who Wore Sneakers and Sunglasses," 5 Mar. 2018
Local fashion designers will again create frocks, frills and finery from colorful condoms that will prance proudly down the runway.

— courtney devores, charlotteobserver, "Your 5-minute guide to the best things to do in Charlotte | Feb. 23-March 1 | Charlotte Observer," 21 Feb. 2018
The rest of the two-act play charts her downward slide, from absurd extravagance to affected pastoral simplicity and, finally, a humiliating imprisonment that strips her of her finery, her hair, and most of her pretensions.

— julia m. klein, Philly.com, "Curio Theatre Co.'s 'Marie Antoinette' is energetic but emotionally lacking," 18 Feb. 2018
The former president sits in front of a backdrop of greenery and flowers, and with the exception of his traditional chair, there is no trace of Oval Office finery, flags, or patriotic ephemera.

— ellen mcgirt, Fortune, "raceAhead: Why The Obama Portraits Matter," 12 Feb. 2018
Chaired by Wendy Goodman and Zac Posen, the party opened to rows of finery, from jewels and 1800’s portraiture to Chinese porcelain and medieval weaponry (an unusually popular section).

— noor brara, Vogue, "At the Park Avenue Armory, New York’s Young Collectors Toast the Winter Antiques Show," 26 Jan. 2018
After a brief interlude during which the Jimmy Maxwell Orchestra played, Queen Caroline returned adorned with regal finery to take her place on the throne with the Lord of Misrule.

— sue strachan, NOLA.com, "Twelfth Night Revelers festively kick off Carnival 2018," 11 Jan. 2018

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