often attributive
1
: clothing
I need new clothes for the winter.
2
: bedclothes
I have been awake ever since 5 and sooner, I fancy I had too much clothes over my stomachJane Austen
3
: all the cloth articles of personal and household use that can be washed
I always wash clothes on Mondays.

Examples of clothes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The photo collection started with a rather comical picture of Hadid sprawled on the concrete floor of a dressing room – as the star is lying down in a pink sweatshirt, leggings, ballet-core leg warmers and surrounded by racks of clothes. Zizi Strater, Peoplemag, 14 Feb. 2023 A few kilometers away, families stand with boxes full of winter clothes at a donation center. Fariba Nawa, The Christian Science Monitor, 8 Feb. 2023 Copeland, who was hiding in a pile of clothes, shot Michalski in the head. Christopher Kuhagen, Journal Sentinel, 7 Feb. 2023 At just over 5 pounds, this hardside suitcase is lightweight and compact while still fitting an impressive amount of clothes. Theresa Holland, Travel + Leisure, 6 Feb. 2023 Experts say these are the types of clothes that are fine to wear repeatedly without washing. Alexandra Meeks, CNN, 3 Feb. 2023 As a matter of fact, some of those clothes were my own — my own sweatpants and my own t-shirt. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 2 Feb. 2023 He was found under a pile of clothes in the basement of the house. Mike Mavredakis, Hartford Courant, 31 Jan. 2023 The regional winter response team got to work early Monday providing shelter, meals, showers and a change of clothes to vulnerable populations as freezing temperatures and sleet crept into the area. Stacy Ryburn, Arkansas Online, 31 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'clothes.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English clāthas, plural of clāth — see cloth

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of clothes was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near clothes

Cite this Entry

“Clothes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clothes. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

clothes

noun plural

More from Merriam-Webster on clothes

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