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Glite Dictionary
wearing apparel

wearing apparel

1 2.8
Clothes people put on to cover their body
  • noun
  • /ˈwɛrɪŋ əˈpærəl/
translation icon : ropa
  • Adair wrote that Choctaw men wagered "their silver ornaments, their nose, finger, and ear rings; their breast, arm, and wrist plates, and even all their wearing apparel, except that which barely covers their middle."

Examples

  • The wearing apparel as an identity symbol suggests that this activity is not important to them and is not taken very seriously.

    Academic text (1993)

  • Her two daughters were to share the rest of her wearing apparel.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Wearing apparel is divided into two major areas.

    Blog text (13)

  • One of the more difficult commodities for classification is wearing apparel.

    Blog text (13)

  • Electronics, textiles, and wearing apparel are the top manufacturing industries that attract foreign investments.

    Academic text (1997)

  • She left her niece her chintz gown and her two sisters parcels of unspecified wearing apparel.

    Academic text (1996)

  • Retail trade, wearing apparel, education, health, and other personal services (beauty treatment, hairdressing, cleaning of textiles, household maintenance) are the sectors where more than 50% of female entrepreneurs with workers operate.

    Academic text (2018)

  • For example, lower-middle-class women do not shave their legs in order to enhance their European appearance, and upper-middle-class women avoid wearing apparel reminiscent of Indians and Mestizos.

    Academic text (1997)

  • He donated all his old wearing apparel to the local shelter.

  • The store offers a wide range of wearing apparel for all seasons.

Synonyms

clothes
vswearing apparel
∞ 1.0

Things you wear to cover your body, like shirts and coats

is the broader collective term for all items people put on
clothing
vswearing apparel
530 1.0

Things you wear to cover your body

is the collective phrase rather than the simpler single word name
dress
vswearing apparel
333 1.0

Clothes of a particular style or for a special occasion

is the general collective concept rather than style specific usage
apparel
vswearing apparel
  • Formal
57 3.8

Clothing for a particular purpose or event

is the general collective term not focused on occasion or commerce
attire
vswearing apparel
  • Formal
51 4.3

Clothes for special or formal occasions, like a suit

is the wider collective term not limited to formality or events
threads
vswearing apparel
  • Slang
1 8.3

Clothes you wear that look smart or stylish

is the neutral overall label rather than the casual slangy word
vestiture
vswearing apparel
  • Archaic
9.9

Clothes worn by a person, often formal or special

is the modern general expression rather than the old-fashioned form

How Formal

formal
1 3.5
business suit
16 1.8
wearing apparel
1 2.8
casual
81 1.3

Surface Forms

wearing apparel singular
wearing apparels plural

Morphology

wearing + apparel

The meaning is directly compositional: 'wearing' (having clothes on) combined with 'apparel' (garments) yields 'clothing' or garments that are worn. Although the phrase is somewhat formal or redundant, a B1 learner who knows both constituents can readily infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Wearing apparel comes from the simple joining of wearing (to put on clothes) and apparel (a word for clothes). It shows the idea of items you put on, so it means 'clothing' or 'garments' as a group.