Accessories

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əkˈsɛs(ə)ɹiz/

Definitions

1. Supplementary elements that add flair or utility to attire
2. Objects used to enhance, adorn, or serve a practical role in clothing or an outfit
3. Additional items worn or carried to complete or enhance a person's outfit or appearance

Etymology: "Accessories" is the plural of "accessory", and the singular reaches back to Latin "accedere", "to come near or approach". Latin "accessor" meant a helper or subordinate, someone who came alongside to assist, and Medieval Latin turned that into the adjective "accessorius", meaning additional or supplementary. The sense of something secondary that adds to a main thing was present from the start, which is why a handbag or belt, added to an outfit that is complete without it, fits the word so neatly. The English form arrived through Middle English "accessorie", so the word was already in use in English before the modern clothing sense developed. Its ancestry runs through "access" as well, a close relative built on the same root, which explains why both words share the idea of coming toward something.

Synonyms: additions, supplements, enhancements, complements, attachments

Antonyms: essentials, necessities, fundamentals, basics, core