What does "livery" mean?
Any distinctive identifying uniform worn by a group, such as the uniform worn by chauffeurs and male servants.
Livery
/ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any distinctive identifying uniform worn by a group, such as the uniform worn by chauffeurs and male servants.
- Grammar: livery is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: accouterments, armory, attire, badge.
- Useful contrasts: civilian dress, informal wear, mufti.
- Usage evidence: And while the moralist, who is holding forth on the cover ( an accurate portrait of your humble servant), professes to wear neither gown nor bands, but only the very same long-eared livery in which his congregation is arrayed: yet, look you, one is bound to speak the truth as far as one knows it, whether one mounts a cap and bells or a shovel hat; and a deal of disagreeable matter must come out in the course of such an undertaking.
How to use "livery"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "livery" 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 "livery" 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 "livery" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "livery" 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 "livery" is acting as adj, 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 "accouterments" 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 "livery", 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 Any distinctive identifying uniform worn by a group, such as the uniform worn by chauffeurs and male servants. countable, uncountable
"And while the moralist, who is holding forth on the cover ( an accurate portrait of your humble servant), professes to wear neither gown nor bands, but only the very same long-eared livery in which his congregation is arrayed: yet, look you, one is bound to speak the truth as far as one knows it, whether one mounts a cap and bells or a shovel hat; and a deal of disagreeable matter must come out in the course of such an undertaking."
- 2 the care (feeding and stabling) of horses for pay wordnet
- 3 The whole body of liverymen, members of livery companies. countable, uncountable
- 4 the voluntary transfer of something (title or possession) from one party to another wordnet
- 5 The paint scheme of a vehicle or fleet of vehicles. countable, uncountable
"The airline's new livery received a mixed reaction from the press."
Show 10 more definitions
- 6 uniform worn by some menservants and chauffeurs wordnet
- 7 A taxicab or limousine. US, countable, uncountable
- 8 The delivery of property from one owner to the next. countable, uncountable
- 9 The writ by which property is obtained. countable, uncountable
- 10 The rental of horses or carriages; the rental of canoes; the care and/or boarding of horses for money. countable, historical, uncountable
"[…] Pegasus does not stand at livery even at the largest establishment in Moorfields."
- 11 A stable that keeps horses or carriages for rental. countable, historical, uncountable
- 12 An allowance of food; a ration, as given out to a family, to servants, to horses, etc. countable, uncountable
"The emperor's officers every night went through the town from house to house whereat any English gentleman did repast or lodge, and served their liveries for all night: first, the officers brought into the house a cast of fine manchet [white bread], and of silver two great post, and white wine, and sugar."
- 13 Release from wardship; deliverance. countable, uncountable
"It concerned them first to sue out their livery from the unjust wardship of his encroaching prerogative."
- 14 A low grade of wool. countable, uncountable
- 15 Outward markings, fittings or appearance countable, uncountable
"When forty winters shall beseige thy brow, dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field, Thy youth's proud livery, so gazed on now, Will be a tatter'd weed, of small worth held:"
Verb
- 1 To clothe. archaic
"He liveried his servants in the most modest of clothing."
Adjective
- 1 Like liver.
"We are happy for the chopped mushrooms within the warm goose liver paté, for the coarse, highly seasoned wedge has a robust livery flavour the 'shrooms manage to ease."
- 2 Queasy, liverish.
"He woke feeling livery, and aware that he had overslept the morning."
Adjective
- 1 suffering from or suggesting a liver disorder or gastric distress wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"And while the moralist, who is holding forth on the cover ( an accurate portrait of your humble servant), professes to wear neither gown nor bands, but only the very same long-eared livery in which his congregation is arrayed: yet, look you, one is bound to speak the truth as far as one knows it, whether one mounts a cap and bells or a shovel hat; and a deal of disagreeable matter must come out in the course of such an undertaking."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "livery"?
Common synonyms include: accouterments, armory, attire, badge, badge of office, badges.
How do you use "livery" in a sentence?
And while the moralist, who is holding forth on the cover ( an accurate portrait of your humble servant), professes to wear neither gown nor bands, but only the very same long-eared livery in which his congregation is arrayed: yet, look you, one is bound to speak the truth as far as one knows it, whether one mounts a cap and bells or a shovel hat; and a deal of disagreeable matter must come out in the course of such an undertaking.
How do you pronounce "livery"?
Pronounced /ˈlɪ.və.ɹi/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English livery, liveree, from Anglo-Norman liveree, from Old French livree. Compare modern French livrée.
Etymology 2
From Middle English *livery, from Old English lifriġ (“relating to the liver, livery”), equivalent to liver + -y.