Standard Lemma guide

ornamentation

noun · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • rhymes with -eɪʃən
  • CMU ARPABET: AO2 R N AH0 M EH0 N T EY1 SH AH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Decoration, adornment or embellishment.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: adornment, decoration, embellishment, ornament, garniture, garnish, garnishment, ornamentation

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The act or process of decorating etc.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Short notes added to a composition to emphasize certain notes and to add style.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

the act of adding extraneous decorations to something

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: embellishment

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: decoration

5

noun

Meaning 5

something used to beautify

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: decoration, ornament

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: artifact, artefact

Narrower terms: adornment, arabesque, architectural ornament, beading, beadwork, bow, brass, centerpiece, centrepiece, Christmas tree, cockade, design, pattern, figure, embellishment, finial, flower arrangement, floral arrangement, folderal, falderol, frill, gimcrackery, gimcrack, nonsense, trumpery, gargoyle, garnish, graffito, graffiti, hanging, wall hanging, hood ornament, incrustation, encrustation, inlay, interior decoration, decor, knob, pommel, lunula, molding, moulding, nailhead, necklet, overlay, rosemaling, set decoration, sgraffito, spiral, volute, sprig, stud, rivet, tail fin, tailfin, fin, tinsel, tracery, wind chime, wind bell

6

noun

Meaning 6

the state of being ornamented

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: state

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English ornament Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *-Hō Proto-Indo-European *-tiHō Proto-Italic *-tiō Latin -tiō Latin -ātiōlbor. Old French -ationbor. Middle English -acioun English -ation English ornamentation From ornament + -ation.

Across languages

Translations

19 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: украсяване (ukrasjavane) — the act or process of decorating
  • Catalan: ornamentació — the act or process of decorating
  • French: ornementation — the act or process of decorating
  • German: Ausschmückung — the act or process of decorating
  • Irish: eagrú — the act or process of decorating
  • Irish: gréasú — the act or process of decorating
  • Irish: maisiú — the act or process of decorating
  • Irish: oirniú — the act or process of decorating
  • Italian: ornamentazione — the act or process of decorating
  • Norwegian Bokmål: utsmykking — the act or process of decorating
  • Norwegian Bokmål: ornamentikk — the act or process of decorating
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: utsmykking — the act or process of decorating
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: ornamentikk — the act or process of decorating
  • Occitan: ornamentacion — the act or process of decorating
  • Portuguese: ornamentação — the act or process of decorating
  • Romanian: ornamentare — the act or process of decorating
  • Romanian: ornamentație — the act or process of decorating
  • Spanish: ornamentación — the act or process of decorating
  • Turkish: süsleme — the act or process of decorating
Real reading context

ornamentation in complete knowledge articles