vest

1 of 2

noun

ˈvest

Synonyms of vest next

: a sleeveless garment for the upper body usually worn over a shirt

: a protective usually sleeveless garment (such as a life preserver) that extends to the waist

: an insulated sleeveless waist-length garment often worn under or in place of a coat

chiefly British : a man's sleeveless undershirt

: a knitted undershirt for women

: a plain or decorative piece used to fill in the front neckline of a woman's outer garment (such as a blouse or dress)

archaic

: a loose outer garment : robe

: clothing, garb

vestlike

ˈvest-ˌlīk

adjective

vest

2 of 2

verb

vested; vesting; vests

transitive verb

: to grant or endow with a particular authority, right, or property

the plan vests workers with pension benefits after 10 years of service

: to place or give into the possession or discretion of some person or authority

especially : to give to a person a legally fixed immediate right of present or future enjoyment of (such as an estate)

: to clothe with or as if with a garment

especially : to robe in ecclesiastical vestments

intransitive verb

: to become legally vested

: to put on garments or vestments

Example Sentences

Verb “By the power vested in me by the state,” intoned the minister, “I now pronounce that you are married” vested the power to access their retirement accounts with their attorney

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

At the end of a six-week season, some of this gear is still in my vest. —

M.d. Johnson, Field & Stream, 25 Apr. 2023 On April 10, two Nogales police officers shot and killed a 31-year-old man who police said was wielding two knives and wearing what appeared to be a bulletproof vest. —

The Arizona Republic, 12 Apr. 2023 Clark, dressed in a red, white and blue cowboy hat and vest, said the New York indictment will backfire. —

Gary Fields, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2023 At first glance, in his navy pants and police vest, O’Rourke looks like the typical lawman. —

oregonlive, 25 Mar. 2023 So far, many of the companies have kept things, including safety, close to the vest. —

Brad Templeton, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2023 Duncanville does speed work in practice wearing a weight vest. —

Greg Riddle, Dallas News, 22 Mar. 2023 Our Faves Get ready to retire your ankle-length puffer coat and swap in a mini puffer vest. —

Hannah Oh, Seventeen, 23 Feb. 2023 The value is evident with this vest, which mimics human outerwear our team would be glad to own ourselves. —

Madison Yauger, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2023

Verb

In 2021 Jassy received a stock grant valued at more than $200 million tied to his promotion to CEO, with the shares vesting over 10 years. —

Alex Weprin, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Apr. 2023 Isom, 59, made $3.6 million in stock awards, which vest over three years and gives the CEO incentive to drive performance over time. —

Kyle Arnold, Dallas News, 31 Mar. 2023 Instead, that authority was vested in the ATC, but IndyStar found understaffing, poor oversight and lax enforcement allowed violence to fester at bars and clubs, even after multiple shootings and other problems. —

Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 21 Mar. 2023 The Constitution vests appropriations with the legislature, not the executive branch. —

Grace Segers, The New Republic, 10 Mar. 2023 All would vest over the next three years. —

David Koenig, chicagotribune.com, 8 Mar. 2021 Some employers let their matches fully vest within the first year or two of an employee’s tenure. —

Jeanne Sahadi, CNN, 13 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French veste, from Italian, from Latin vestis garment

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French vestir to clothe, invest, vest, from Latin vestire to clothe, from vestis clothing, garment — more at wear

First Known Use

Noun

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1b

Time Traveler

The first known use of vest was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Vest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vest. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

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Kids Definition

vest

1 of 2 verb

ˈvest

: to place or give into the possession or control of some person or authority

powers vested in the presidency

: to clothe in vestments

vest

2 of 2 noun

: a sleeveless garment usually worn under a suit coat

: a protective garment (as a life preserver) that reaches to the waist

: a knitted undershirt for women

Etymology

Verb

Middle English vesten "to give into the possession or control of someone," from early French vestir "to dress with clothes, to give power or authority to," from Latin vestire "to clothe," from vestis "clothing, garment"

Noun

from French veste "robe, garment," from Italian veste (same meaning), from Latin vestis "clothing, garment"