Attire

How to spell attire

6 letters · 3 syllables

How to pronounce attire

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does attire mean?

1. nounClothes or a particular outfit, especially when considered formal or characteristic of an occasion.
2. verbTo dress someone in clothes, especially fine or formal ones.

Attire in a sentence

• noun

  The invitation specified that formal attire was required for the dinner.

• verb

  The stylists would attire each model in the latest designs.

• noun

  Hiking demands sturdy boots and weatherproof attire.

• verb

  Servants used to attire the queen in elaborate gowns each morning.

Where does attire come from?

Language of origin: French

This word comes from the Old French verb atirier, which meant 'to equip, arrange, or put in order', and from there 'to dress'. That verb was built from the prefix a- (meaning 'to') and the noun tire, meaning 'order, rank, or row', the same element that lies behind the modern word 'tier'. English borrowed it during the 1200s, originally with the broad sense of arranging or equipping someone, before it narrowed to mean specifically the clothing a person was arranged in. Over the centuries the noun meaning 'dress' or 'outfit' became dominant, especially in slightly formal contexts. The single t and the -ire ending are the spelling traps, since speakers often expect a doubled consonant after the short opening syllable.

How the word is built

• a- (to, from Old French)
• tire (order, arrangement, row)