wardrobe

noun

ward·​robe ˈwȯr-ˌdrōb How to pronounce wardrobe (audio)
plural wardrobes
1
a
: a collection of wearing apparel (as of one person or for one activity)
a summer wardrobe
b
: a collection of stage costumes and accessories
working in the wardrobe department
2
a
chiefly British : a room or closet (see closet entry 1 sense 2) where clothes are kept
b
: clothes press
especially : a tall freestanding cabinet with a rod for hanging clothes
c
: a large trunk in which clothes may be hung upright
3
: the department of a royal or noble household entrusted with the care of wearing apparel, jewels, and personal articles

Did you know?

There is a lot of word history packed into wardrobe. The word was borrowed by Middle-English speakers from a variant of Anglo-French garderobe. A combination of garder and robe, garderobe itself has been borrowed into English as a synonym of wardrobe. If the roots of garderobe look familiar, it is because they are the source of a number of different English words. Garder has given us the verbs guard and ward. And French robe, of course, is the source of the English robe and shares its own origins with the English verbs rob and reave (a synonym of plunder). If this connection seems odd, it might help to know that robe can be traced back to Germanic origins related to the Old High German words roub ("booty" or "looted clothing") and roubōn ("to rob").

Examples of wardrobe in a Sentence

She has a new summer wardrobe. She went to wardrobe for her fitting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Forget relegating them to seasonal rotation; florals deserve permanent wardrobe status through jewelry, accessories, clothing, shoes, and outerwear. Pooja Shah, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025 Coco Schiffer, who specializes in capsule wardrobes, was the right person for the job. Lizzie Hyman, People.com, 11 May 2025 So many retailers are kicking things off ahead of schedule, offering up to 60% off warm-weather trends (like jelly shoes) and wardrobe essentials (like wide-leg jeans) alike. Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 9 May 2025 Fans of Emily and Stephanie’s wardrobe in 2018 can look forward to more bold, opulent statement pieces and elevated looks, according to the film’s costume designer Renee Ehrlich Kalfus. Jemal Polson, CNN Money, 8 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for wardrobe

Word History

Etymology

Middle English warderobe, from Anglo-French *warderobe, garderobe, from warder, garder to guard + robe robe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of wardrobe was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Wardrobe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wardrobe. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

wardrobe

noun
ward·​robe ˈwȯr-ˌdrōb How to pronounce wardrobe (audio)
1
: a room, closet, or chest where clothes are kept
2
: a collection of clothes (as of one person or for one activity)
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!