adornment

noun

adorn·​ment ə-ˈdȯrn-mənt How to pronounce adornment (audio)
Synonyms of adornment
1
: the action of adorning : the state of being adorned
2
: something that adorns

Synonyms of adornment

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Examples of adornment in a Sentence

the adornment of the walls with her paintings Her room doesn't have any unnecessary adornments. The entrance to the building has little adornment.
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.
The six-story lobby goes all out with adornment and craftsmanship. — Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026 The shoes feature a mesh spiderweb like design in addition to the 3D arachnid adornments. — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026 Crews used laser levels and temporary adhesive to fix items to the walls, checking their work for accuracy against renderings of the actual office before nailing many adornments to the walls. — Arkansas Online, 5 Oct. 2026 Dresses based on the domestic adornment were piped in leather, while a gleaming gold dress was laser-cut with the decorative pattern. — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for adornment

Word History

Etymology

Middle English adornement, borrowed from Anglo-French aurnement, from aurner, adourner "to adorn" + -ment -ment

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of adornment was in the 15th century

Browse Nearby Words

adorn
adornment
Adorno
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Cite this Entry

“Adornment.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/adornment. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

adornment

noun
adorn·​ment ə-ˈdȯrn-mənt How to pronounce adornment (audio)
1
: the action of adorning : the state of being adorned
2
: something that adorns
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