attire
uh-TYRE
/əˈtaɪər/
Clothes, especially fine or formal clothes.
In sports, it is often used in the phrase 'athletic attire' to denote the appropriate dress code for a gym or club.
The story behind the word. From the Old French 'atirer', meaning 'to arrange' or 'put in order'. It originally referred to the way a knight's armor and equipment were arranged before battle.
Word relationships
- apparel: Apparel is a commercial term; attire is a more formal, descriptive term for what someone is wearing.
Commonly confused with
- uniform: Uniform implies a specific team design; attire is a general category of clothing.
Collocations
- athletic attire
- formal attire
- proper attire
- business attire
Example sentences
- "Proper athletic attire, including non-marking shoes, is required on the tennis courts." Club regulations
- "She was dressed in her finest attire for the ball." Literature
Memory hook
You 'tire' of wearing the same 'attire' every day. Arrange your attire.
When not to use
Too formal for casual conversation about 'gym clothes'.
Fun facts
- In the 14th century, 'attire' could also refer to a woman's headdress.
Also appears in
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.