Attire

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /əˈtaɪɚ/

Definitions

1. Clothing or garments worn for a particular occasion or purpose
2. Clothing that is worn for specific events or activities includes both formal and informal garments that reflect one's style or adherence to social norms
3. The garments selected for dressing appropriately in various situations encompass styles that can denote cultural or personal expression

Etymology: Before it meant clothing, "attire" was a verb meaning to equip or adorn someone, and that older sense is still the core of the word. It came into Middle English as "atyren" or "atiren" from Old French "atirier," meaning "to equip." The French verb was built from "a-" and "tire," a word meaning "rank" or "order," so to attire someone was, in effect, to set them in proper array. The noun followed the verb. Middle English "atir" was simply the state of being equipped, and over time it narrowed to the garments that did the equipping. The word is related to some surprising relatives: German "Zier," meaning "ornament," and Old Norse "tírr," meaning "glory" or "renown." Those connections point to a shared sense of display and distinction, which is exactly what modern attire still signals when it reflects one's style or the norms of an occasion.

Synonyms: clothing, apparel, garb, outfit, dress

Antonyms: nudity, bare, disrobe, undress, unclothe