Attire Once Meant Putting Things in Order
Attire is clothing, especially formal. The word began as a verb about arranging and only later meant dressing.
Attire is clothing, particularly of a formal or notable kind. Its origin is administrative rather than sartorial: Old French *atirier* meant to put in order or arrange, from a phrase meaning into a row. Dressing was one kind of arranging, and eventually the word narrowed to that alone.
- Clothing, especially formal. *Evening attire.*
- To dress. *Attired in black.*
- A deer's antlers (heraldry). *A stag's attire.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | attire | Formal attire. |
| Verb | attire | Attire yourself well. |
| Past participle | attired | Richly attired. |
| Related | apparel | Sports apparel. |
| Related | garb | Ceremonial garb. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Business attire is required.Invitation wording.
- She was attired for the occasion.Verb, slightly literary.
- Smart casual attire.A dress code that confuses everyone.
Dress codes explained
- White tie — the most formal: tailcoat and full evening dress
- Black tie — dinner jacket or evening gown
- Lounge suit — an ordinary suit, called business attire in America
- Smart casual — a jacket, no tie required
- Come as you are — the only unambiguous one
From Old French *atirier*, to equip or arrange, from *a tire*, into a row. English narrowed it to clothing by the fourteenth century.
Attire or clothing?
Clothing is neutral and everyday. Attire is formal and often appears in invitations and dress codes.
Is attire countable?
No. It is a mass noun, so you say attire, not attires.