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Glite Dictionary
vestiture

vestiture

9.9
Clothes worn by a person, often formal or special
  • noun
  • /ˈvɛstɪtʃər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : vestidura
  • The vestiture of the royal family was quite elaborate.

Examples

  • The ancient manuscript described the vestiture of priests in great detail.

  • The nobleman arrived, resplendent in fine vestiture befitting his station.

  • Her vestiture reflected the fashions of a bygone era.

  • She wore a beautiful vestiture for the gala.

  • The nobleman arrived, resplendent in fine vestiture befitting his station.

  • Her vestiture reflected the fashions of a bygone era.

  • The ancient manuscript described the vestiture of priests in great detail.

Synonyms

clothes
vsvestiture
∞ 1.0

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

is the archaic form rather than the neutral everyday word
clothing
vsvestiture
530 1.0

Things you wear to cover your body

is the archaic word rather than the usual everyday term
wear
vsvestiture
60 1.0

Clothing for a particular activity, for example work or evening

is the archaic general term covering garments without focusing on purpose
apparel
vsvestiture
  • Formal
57 3.8

Clothing for a particular purpose or event

is the old-fashioned term rather than the formal commercial label
threads
vsvestiture
  • Slang
1 8.3

Clothes you wear that look smart or stylish

is the archaic word rather than the casual slang expression
wearing apparel
vsvestiture
1 2.8

Clothes people put on to cover their body

is the archaic word rather than the common modern expression
vesture
vsvestiture
  • Literature
1 9.9

Clothes worn for ceremony or special events

is the old-fashioned term rather than the literary expression

How Formal

regalia
7 9.1
vestment
7 8.5
vestiture
  • Archaic
9.9
attire
  • Formal
51 4.3
clothes
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

vestiture singular
vestitures plural

Morphology

vestiture = vest (semi-transparent) = vest + iture

The form shows 'vest' + the rare suffix '-iture', but '-iture' is not productive in modern English and the meaning 'clothing collectively' is broader and archaic, so learners may not reliably infer the sense from 'vest'.

Etymology

Vestiture comes from the Latin vestire meaning 'to clothe' and is related to the simple English word vest, which is a piece of clothing. So vestiture, now old-fashioned, originally meant 'clothing' or the set of clothes someone wore, and that is why it refers to garments.