style

noun

\ ˈstī(-ə)l

Definition of style

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : designation, title

2a : a distinctive manner of expression (as in writing or speech) writes with more attention to style than to content the flowery style of 18th century prose

b : a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself the formal style of the court his style is abrasive also : a particular mode of living in high style

c : a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed a unique style of horseback riding the classical style of dance

3a : stylus

b : gnomon sense 1b

c : the filiform usually elongated part of the pistil bearing a stigma at its apex — see flower illustration

d : a slender elongated process (such as a bristle) on an animal

4 : a distinctive quality, form, or type of something a new dress style the Greek style of architecture

5a : the state of being popular : fashion clothes that are always in style

b : fashionable elegance

c : beauty, grace, or ease of manner or technique an awkward moment she handled with style

6 : a convention with respect to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and typographic arrangement and display followed in writing or printing

style

verb

styled; styling

Definition of style (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to call or designate by an identifying term : name

2a : to give a particular style to

b : to design, make, or arrange in accord with the prevailing mode

-style

adjective combining form or adverb combining form

Definition of -style (Entry 3 of 3)

: being in the style of a Beaujolais-style wine

Other Words from style Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about style

Keep scrolling for more

Other Words from style

Noun

styleless \ ˈstī(-ə)l-ləs

\ adjective

stylelessness noun

Verb

styler noun

Choose the Right Synonym for style

Noun

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

Examples of style in a Sentence

Noun

I don't like the flowery style of his writing. She has a unique style of singing. a baseball pitcher with an unusual style She writes with more attention to style than to content. The room was decorated in modern style. The car is available in several different styles. the Greek style of architecture The range of clothing styles has become more varied. His management style is abrasive.

Verb

She cuts and styles hair. She's having her hair styled tomorrow. a book styled for a general audience

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Before joining New York magazine in 2004, Mr. Moss was the editor of the New York Times Magazine, as well as assistant managing editor of the paper, overseeing the magazine, Book Review, culture and style, New York Media said. — Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg, WSJ, "New York Magazine Editor Adam Moss Is Stepping Down," 15 Jan. 2019 Nowadays, Lopez, the mother of 10-year-old twins Max and Emme (with ex-husband Marc Anthony), oversees a multi-pronged empire that spans music, TV, film, live entertainment, and style. — Harper's BAZAAR, "Jennifer Lopez Is (Still) on Top of the World," 9 Jan. 2019 The new addition to its Linksys Wi-Fi mesh lineup looks exactly like a conventional router—specifically, a router from its Linksys EA series of routers—with four blade-style antennas emerging from its flanks. — Michael Brown, PCWorld, "Belkin takes the wraps off its Linksys Max Stream AC2200 Wi-Fi router," 7 Jan. 2019 Even before the Recession started, news and personal style blogs like Fashionista, Style Bubble, and Bryanboy had begun to infiltrate and democratize the fashion world. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "How the Great Recession influenced a decade of design," 27 Dec. 2018 Lofts are open, airy, and spacious by their very nature, but this rentable two-bedroom apartment-meets-showroom in Copenhagen manages to bring the two concepts together with ample style. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Rent this cozy loft that doubles as a furniture showroom," 27 Dec. 2018 Shop Our Favorite Credenzas Check out some of our favorite credenzas in a variety of styles and finishes. — Lucia Tonelli, ELLE Decor, "How to Choose the Perfect Credenza," 19 Dec. 2018 Because Venus’s upper atmosphere has similar pressure, density, gravity, and radiation protection to Earth’s surface, NASA is considering an airship-style vehicle for exploring the planet. — Fox News, "NASA eyes stunning 'cloud city' airship concept to explore Venus," 16 Oct. 2018 His style was unorthodox for a Japanese executive with ambitions for the top. — Phred Dvorak, WSJ, "At Troubled Nissan, CEO Described as a ‘Space Alien’ Takes the Wheel," 30 Dec. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

While supporters of the take-a-knee protests believe the players are exercising their constitutional rights, the President has styled himself as a spokesman for other Americans, many on the right, who see the demonstrations as unpatriotic. — Stephen Collinson, CNN, "Trump to NFL players: Patriotism is my way or the highway," 5 June 2018 There’s also Maison Margiela’s deconstructed corset, styled with drainpipe trousers. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "16 Red Carpet-Worthy Looks That Will Make You Rethink Gowns Forever," 29 Dec. 2018 In addition to styling celebrities and hosting shows about style, Dinkin also writes about the subject on her blog, Fancy Hipster. — Kayleigh Roberts, Marie Claire, "Who Is Sara Dinkin? Everything You Need to Know About Kristen Stewart's New Girlfriend," 26 Dec. 2018 The secret to getting an updo to last all night is to apply hairspray before and after styling to give your strands that extra stick. — Seventeen.com Editors, Seventeen, "50 Life-Changing Prom Beauty Tips You Haven't Heard Before," 19 Dec. 2018 Keep your guests full and stick with the theme by styling a charcuterie tray amongst your spooky Halloween decor. — Elle Decor Editors, ELLE Decor, "20 Halloween Party Ideas So Sophisticated They’ll Scare You," 18 Oct. 2018 In other words, oils make hair less likely to break under pressure, which is especially important for thinning hair that’s prone to snapping when brushed or styled. — Jessica Chia, Allure, "The Best Hair Loss Treatments for Every Budget," 15 Oct. 2018 Everything is thoughtfully styled—and pared back just enough that no corner seems cluttered. — Candace Braun Davison, House Beautiful, "You'll Want To Live Inside Restoration Hardware's Epic Flagship Store," 15 Oct. 2018 Independence Brewing’s new beer, Native Texan pilsner, comes in a can that seems styled after the sticker with the same words that adorns many a pickup truck in this state. — Markus Haas, San Antonio Express-News, "Your guide to 8 great summer beers," 12 July 2018

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

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about style

Dictionary Entries near style

Statistics for style

Last Updated

20 Jan 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for style

The first known use of style was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for style

style

noun

English Language Learners Definition of style

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a particular way in which something is done, created, or performed

: a particular form or design of something

: a way of behaving or of doing things

style

verb

English Language Learners Definition of style (Entry 2 of 2)

: to give (yourself) a name or title even if you do not really deserve it

: to give a particular shape to (someone's hair)

: to design (something) for a particular purpose

See the full definition for style in the English Language Learners Dictionary

style

noun

\ ˈstīl

Kids Definition of style

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a particular form or design of something classical style of dance Dinner was served buffet style.

2 : a way of speaking or writing

3 : an individual way of behaving or doing something He changed his style of holding the bat and hit more balls.

4 : a method, manner, or quality that is felt to be very respectable, fashionable, or proper : fashion They dine in style. Dad's clothes are out of style.

5 : an easy and graceful manner She handled the situation with style.

6 : the narrow middle part of the pistil of a flower