style

noun

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\ 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; styles

Definition of style (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to call or designate by an identifying term : name Jay King styles himself as the Indiana Jones of turquoise, telling tales of far-flung mines as he peddles chunky jewelry.— Belinda Luscombe … she styles herself as an entrepreneur looking to establish a "members-only club" on the model of Soho House.— Sadie Stein — see also self-styled

2 : to give a particular style to: such as

a : to give a particular shape to (hair) She cuts and styles her own hair. His hair was styled in thick spikes pointing skyward and he was wearing a leather jacket and jeans. "I looked like a punk rocker," he admits.— Leigh Anne Williams

b : to design and make (something, such as clothing) in a particular style or for a particular purpose Our 30"-long skirt is flatteringly styled with front pleats and a plain back. — Land's End catalog Kids on … BMX bikes styled like motorcycles …— Margaret Loeb The coats, even those presumably styled for hunting, are woefully too short …— Donald Atwell Zoll

c : to wear (something, such as an article of clothing) as part of a particular fashion look (see look entry 2 sense 2c) … these loafers … can easily be styled with jeans, khakis, or shorts alike, depending on the season.— Ali Smith Earlier this month, Hailey Bieber also headed to Vegas in a lime green trucker hat, styling it with a white tank and classic jeans.— Christian Allaire also : to select and arrange the clothing, hair, makeup, etc. of (someone) to create a particular fashion look [Kylie] Jenner is styled in a dress by Anthony Vaccarello from Saint Laurent's 2020 fall collection. — Danielle Drake-Flam

d : to decorate (something, such as a room) in a particular way … a … boutique hotel where each room is styled after a different country or region.— Jenny White

-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

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Other Words from style

Noun

styleless \ ˈstī(-ə)l-ləs

\ adjective

stylelessness noun

Verb

styler noun, plural stylers

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 The Texas head coach almost went as far as calling a timeout eight minutes into the TCU game, just to let his defense re-focus — basketball style. — Dallas News, 5 Oct. 2021 The exhibition in Chicago begins with a room covered in commercial and cultural appropriations of Kruger’s style — on clothing, in advertisements and throughout the popular media. — Washington Post, 4 Oct. 2021 Within the past two years, Volkswagen, BMW, Nissan, and General Motors have also given their emblems a similar refresh, keeping the same basic shapes but opting for a more simplified, minimalist style. — Caleb Miller, Car and Driver, 4 Oct. 2021 David Trainer, Kyle Guske II, Alex Sword, and Matt Shuler receive no compensation to write about any specific stock, style, or theme. — David Trainer, Forbes, 4 Oct. 2021 But Russell’s idiosyncratic style — writing a script and then yelling out alternate lines for the actor to say in the midst of shooting — left Nivola feeling utterly out of control. — New York Times, 3 Oct. 2021 This modular, freeform style is supported by notable technical wizardry, a combination of complex procedural generation and the laborious process of modeling each architectural unit. — Lewis Gordon, Wired, 2 Oct. 2021 In the 19th century, during the height of the Industrial Revolution, William Morris idealized the English countryside in decorative designs of flora and fauna—ushering in a folksy, medieval decor style now known as the Arts & Crafts movement. — Elise Taylor, Vogue, 1 Oct. 2021 The offense has become modernized, with Bickerstaff implementing a fast, free, flamboyant and fun style. — Chris Fedor, cleveland, 28 Sep. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb First, Rosa's mom would style her hair with a side part to disguise the absent hair. — Jessica Crue, Allure, 31 Aug. 2021 Progressives style themselves as champions of the working-class. — Sally Pipes, Forbes, 30 Aug. 2021 Thorne talks about collaborating with directors and the wardrobe department to style her characters, doing her own on-screen makeup, and unexpectedly making lifelong friendships on set. — Mike Rose, cleveland, 17 Sep. 2021 Anyone who wants to start a vegetable and herb garden, learn how to style a bedroom, or cook up dishes on the grill is in major luck because Magnolia Network is offering courses on all three starting this Friday, September 17. — Kelly Allen, House Beautiful, 16 Sep. 2021 The fashion and beauty mogul recruited celebrity hairstylist Ken Paves to style her strands for a shoot to promote her latest Victoria Beckham Beauty launches. — Kaitlyn Frey, PEOPLE.com, 31 Aug. 2021 The best way to style your edge is to start with a toothbrush or a fine-tooth comb or even an edge brush. — Jada Jackson, Harper's BAZAAR, 19 Aug. 2021 Kier plays a once high-flying hairdresser, living out his years in Sandusky, Ohio, who is asked to style a former client for her funeral. — Mark Olsen Staff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2021 The Met Gala is where celebrities ascend to style icon status. — Janelle Okwodu, Vogue, 1 Sep. 2021

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.

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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

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Last Updated

7 Oct 2021

Cite this Entry

“Style.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/style. Accessed 15 Oct. 2021.

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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

style

verb

styled; styling

Kids Definition of style (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to design and make in a known or new style well-styled hats

2 : to give a special shape to someone's hair

3 : to identify by some descriptive term : call She styles herself an expert.