lapel

1 of 2

noun

la·​pel lə-ˈpel 

: the part of a garment that is turned back

specifically : the fold of the front of a coat that is usually a continuation of the collar

lapelled adjective

or lapeled

lə-ˈpeld 

lapelled

2 of 2

adjective

la·​pelled lə-ˈpeld 

variants or lapeled

1

: having lapels

2

: turned back as lapels

Examples of lapel in a Sentence

Noun

He wore a carnation in his lapel.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Elordi himself opted to wear Bottega Veneta, sporting a navy, softly pinstriped double-breasted suit with sharp lapels and coordinating tailored pants, a white shirt, and navy skinny tie. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Aug. 2026

Posing alongside McGraw—who paired his signature black cowboy hat with a dark blue jacquard blazer trimmed with black lapels, a black shirt, and dark blue jeans—Maggie added a pop of whimsy to her monochromatic black look. — Lara Walsh, InStyle, 13 Aug. 2026

Zinn was assigned to be a bombardier and took to it quickly, graduating from flight school as a second lieutenant with gold bars on his lapels. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026

The crypto influencers who aren't dead or in prison are now wearing suits with American flag lapel pins on their podcasts. — Josh Brown,sean Russo, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

diminutive of lap entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1789, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lapel

• barbell
• bedwell
• befell
• bluebell
• bombshell
• bridewell
• capelle
• cartel
• carvel
• clamshell
• cogswell
• compel

Kids Definition

lapel

noun

la·​pel lə-ˈpel 

: the fold of the front of a coat that is usually a part of the collar