SINCE 1828
vest
noun
\ ˈvest
\
\
Definition of vest
(Entry 1 of 2)
1a
: a sleeveless garment for the upper body usually worn over a shirt
b
: a protective usually sleeveless garment (such as a life preserver) that extends to the waist
c
: an insulated sleeveless waist-length garment often worn under or in place of a coat
2a
chiefly British
: a man's sleeveless undershirt
b
: a knitted undershirt for women
3
: a plain or decorative piece used to fill in the front neckline of a woman's outer garment (such as a blouse or dress)
vest
verb
vested;
vesting;
vests
Definition of vest (Entry 2 of 2)
1a
: to grant or endow with a particular authority, right, or property
the plan vests workers with pension benefits after 10 years of service
b
: 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)
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Other Words from vest
Noun
vestlike
\ ˈvest-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
Synonyms & Antonyms for vest
Synonyms: Verb
accredit, authorize, certify, charter [British], commission, empower, enable, invest, license (also licence), qualify, warrant
Antonyms: Verb
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Examples of vest in a Sentence
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 attorneyRecent Examples on the Web: Noun
For the sunny summer wedding, Meghan wore a navy Club Monaco dress and a matching fascinator, while her husband coordinated by pairing a royal blue vest and light blue tie with his traditional morning coat and gray striped trousers. — Andrea Park, Glamour, "Meghan Markle Reportedly Sent Thank-You Notes to All Who Wished Her a Happy Birthday," 11 Sep. 2018 Who else could get away with fur and a bowler hat, but also an Adidas track suit and a heavy gold chain, but also jeans and a white T-shirt with a blue vest bearing an eagle wrapped in an American flag? — Théoden Janes, charlotteobserver, "Concert review: It’s OK to love Kid Rock. It’s also OK to hate him. Here’s why.," 12 Feb. 2018 Middleton wore a lace Giles Deacon dress to walk down the aisle, while her financier now-husband suited up with a pale blue vest and pinstriped pants. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Pippa Middleton and James Matthews Are Officially Marrried," 20 May 2017 The best actor nominee for Beautiful Boy brought his mother, Nicole Flender, as his date, who was dressed in a logo vest and trouser set from the Spring 2019 Off-White collection. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Timothée Chalamet Took His Mom to the Golden Globes—and She Wore Fashion’s Buzziest Label," 7 Jan. 2019 While there, Sully, escorted by America's VetDogs service dog program manager Valerie Cramer, wore an American flag vest and sat in front of his late owner's casket for a moment of silence. — Kayla Keegan, Good Housekeeping, "This Is What Will Happen to Sully, George H.W. Bush's Beloved Service Dog," 5 Dec. 2018 The suit, which included a crisp vest and jacket, featured wide-leg trousers that pulled the entire outfit together. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, "Emma Watson Wears White Three-Piece Suit at Wimbledon," 14 July 2018 The groom also dressed formally for the occasion, wearing a black jacket, cream-colored vest and a pair of striped pants. — Aurelie Corinthios, PEOPLE.com, "Kit Harington and Rose Leslie Are the Picture of Newlywed Bliss While Stepping Out in London," 11 July 2018 Browsing clothing racks at Savers in Parkville, Mariah Lamm stumbled upon some good deals: a Tahari suit for work and a skirt, vest and accent scarf for going out, all for about $30. — Lorraine Mirabella, baltimoresun.com, "Fast fashion fuels sustainable-apparel movement," 11 July 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The king’s duties, similar to those of the British monarch, are largely ceremonial since administrative power is vested in the prime minister and parliament. — Eileen Ng, The Seattle Times, "A look at Malaysia’s monarchy before sultans pick next king," 23 Jan. 2019 Newsletter Sign-up The restricted-stock program, which vests over two years, is being replaced with a direct stock-purchase plan. — Laura Stevens, WSJ, "Amazon to Raise Its Minimum U.S. Wage to $15 an Hour," 2 Oct. 2018 That’s not to say they aren’t vested in Bacon’s development, but the situations aren’t parallel. — Rick Bonnell, charlotteobserver, "Your Charlotte Hornets questions on salary cap, Cody Zeller, Tony Parker and more," 12 July 2018 Jurich will receive the annuity payments already vested, totaling $1.76 million ($220,000 per year through 2025). — Jake Lourim, The Courier-Journal, "$4.5 million check and game tickets among Tom Jurich's settlement haul," 18 May 2018 That includes a grant of stock worth $100.1 million that will be fully vested within about a decade regardless of the firm’s performance. — Fortune, "This Is How Much Snap CEO Evan Spiegel Got After IPO," 23 Feb. 2018 Acton exited Facebook a year before his final batch of stock options vested, a decision that ultimately cost him north of $800 million. — Chris Welch, The Verge, "Facebook’s former Messenger boss calls WhatsApp co-founder a ‘new standard of low-class’," 26 Sep. 2018 Line managers then communicate individual payout sums in February and the actual payments, including bonuses vesting from previous years, usually arrive in March, according to two people familiar with the matter. — Bloomberg.com, "Deutsche Bank's Bonus Puzzle Just Got Tougher," 9 Jan. 2018 That moment of just releasing the anger and doing it with a man who has been vested with so much power in our country, and then watching that power melt away in front of my eyes was really great. — Olivia Fleming, Harper's BAZAAR, "Ana Maria Archila and Maria Gallagher Open Up About Confronting Jeff Flake in the Elevator," 29 Oct. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vest.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for vest
vest
noun
English Language Learners Definition of vest
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a sleeveless piece of clothing with buttons down the front that is worn over a shirt and under a suit jacket
: a special piece of clothing that you wear on your upper body for protection or safety
British
: a man's sleeveless undershirt
vest
verbEnglish Language Learners Definition of vest (Entry 2 of 2)
formal
: to give (someone) the legal right or power to do something or to own land or property
See the full definition for vest in the English Language Learners Dictionary
vest
noun
\ ˈvest
\
\
Kids Definition of vest
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a sleeveless garment usually worn under a suit coat
vest
verb
vested;
vesting
Kids Definition of vest (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to place or give into the possession or control of some person or authority
The Constitution vests the Congress with certain powers.
2
: to clothe in vestments
vest
verbLegal Definition of vest
1
: to place in the possession, discretion, or province of some person or authority
all legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States — U.S. Constitution art. I a timely notice of appeal vests jurisdiction in the appeals court
specifically
: to give to a person a fixed and immediate right of present or future enjoyment of (as an estate)
an interest vested in the beneficiary
2
: to grant or endow with a particular authority, right, or property
vest a judge with discretion
: to become vested
specifically
: to entitle one unconditionally to the payment of pension benefits upon termination or retirement
his pension interest will vest after ten years with the company
— compare mature
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