finery

noun

fin·​ery ˈfīn-rē How to pronounce finery (audio)
ˈfī-nə-
plural fineries
: ornament, decoration
especially : dressy or showy clothing and jewels

Examples of finery in a Sentence

She was proud to show off her new evening finery. the guests arrived at the wedding in all their finery
Recent Examples on the Web There were no young girls floating by in elegant dresses, no scrubbed and spoiled children dressed in their finery and dragged toward churches and pagodas, no whisper of music drifting out of windows. Chantha Nguon, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Feb. 2024 The star surfaced demurely from her dressing room and took the stage — not in her usual hip-hugging finery, but in a tiered yellow maxi dress. Suzy Exposito, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2024 Five days, no fineries, all of us mucking in for five days. Tommy McArdle, Peoplemag, 28 Dec. 2023 The owner was so unconcerned about getting the finery back, Spago ended up delivering it. Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2023 The road—a winding serpent—slithered through a kaleidoscope of forests dressed in their autumnal finery, a living mosaic of crimsons, golds and ambers. Kyle Edward, Forbes, 13 Nov. 2023 The renovation took walls down to the studs and built them up again with more moldings, columns, and finery; on the living-room ceiling, Coffey had a craftsman create a period-appropriate plasterwork seal. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 3 Oct. 2023 The house is stuffed with ridiculous relics and over-the-top finery; the grounds offer welcoming expanses of nature and a menacing labyrinth of high bushes. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 18 Nov. 2023 For all the historic detailing and traditional finery, there are, however, a notable number of modernizations. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 1 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'finery.' 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

fine entry 1 + -ery

First Known Use

1647, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of finery was in 1647

Dictionary Entries Near finery

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

finery

noun
fin·​ery ˈfīn-(ə-)rē How to pronounce finery (audio)
plural fineries
: showy clothing and jewels

More from Merriam-Webster on finery

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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