What does "costume" mean?
A style of dress, including garments, accessories and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period or people.
Costume
/ˈkɑsˌt(j)um/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A style of dress, including garments, accessories and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period or people.
- Grammar: costume is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: getup, outfit, accouter, apparel.
- Useful contrasts: disrobe, everyday clothing, ordinary wear.
- Usage evidence: She was all the more beautiful dressed in her wedding costume.
How to use "costume"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "costume" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "costume" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "costume" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "costume" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "costume" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "getup" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "costume", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A style of dress, including garments, accessories and hairstyle, especially as characteristic of a particular country, period or people. countable, uncountable
"The apology came after a netizen claimed Soberano was supposedly doing a black face, but the latter said, in defense, it was just a “costume.”"
- 2 the attire worn in a play or at a fancy dress ball wordnet
- 3 An outfit or a disguise worn as fancy dress etc. countable, uncountable
"We wore gorilla costumes to the party."
- 4 the attire characteristic of a country or a time or a social class wordnet
- 5 A set of clothes appropriate for a particular occasion or season. countable, uncountable
"The bride wore a grey going-away costume."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 unusual or period attire not characteristic of or appropriate to the time and place wordnet
- 7 A swimming costume. countable, uncountable
"They call their bathing suits down there "costumes.""
- 8 the prevalent fashion of dress (including accessories and hair style as well as garments) wordnet
Verb
- 1 To dress or adorn with a costume or appropriate garb.
"Seated on the carpet, by the side of this basin, was seen Mr. Rochester, costumed in shawls, with a turban on his head. His dark eyes and swarthy skin and Paynim features suited the costume exactly. He looked the very model of an Eastern emir, an agent or a victim of the bowstring."
- 2 dress in a costume wordnet
- 3 furnish with costumes; as for a film or play wordnet
Example
"She was all the more beautiful dressed in her wedding costume."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "costume"?
Common synonyms include: getup, outfit, accouter, apparel, appareling, apparelling.
How do you use "costume" in a sentence?
She was all the more beautiful dressed in her wedding costume.
How do you pronounce "costume"?
Pronounced /ˈkɑsˌt(j)um/.
Etymology
Borrowed from French costume, from Italian costume, from Latin consuētūdō (“custom, habit”). Doublet of consuetude, custom, and kastom. Verb circa 1802, perhaps modelled on French costumer.