Ornamenting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. The process of adding decorative elements to enhance the appearance of objects or spaces
2. The act of applying decorative features to improve the visual appeal of items or environments
3. Enhancing the aesthetics of objects or spaces by incorporating ornamental designs

Etymology: "Ornamenting" is the present participle of a verb that grew out of a noun, and the noun's Latin ancestor meant something closer to gear than to decoration. "Ornamentum" in Latin covered equipment, apparatus and furniture as well as adornment, so a thing's usefulness and its finery were once the same word. That breadth came into English through Old French "ornement" and shows how the sense narrowed over time toward purely decorative display. The verb "ornament" was formed from the noun, reversing the usual direction of word formation, so "to ornament" means to apply those trappings to something. The Latin source, "ornare", meant to equip or fit out before it meant to beautify, which explains why the older sense of readiness and provision still sits underneath the modern idea of decorating.

Synonyms: decorating, embellishing, adorning, enhancing, beautifying

Antonyms: disfiguring, defacing, dismantling, removing, stripping