Meaning & use
raiment
Last updated
UK/ˈreɪmənt/
US/ˈreɪmənt/
Meaning
noununcountable
Clothing, especially rich or impressive garments, in old or poetic language.
Grammar: No plural or article: she was dressed in fine raiment.
Patterns
- clothed in raiment
- in fine raiment
The queen appeared in raiment of gold and purple.
In the old story, the beggar was dressed in royal raiment.
The pilgrims wore simple raiment of rough wool.
Common combinations
- royal raiment
- The prince put on his royal raiment.
- fine raiment
- They arrived in fine raiment for the festival.
- clothed in raiment
- The angel was clothed in raiment white as snow.
- splendid raiment
- The dancers wore splendid raiment.
- priestly raiment
- The priest changed into his priestly raiment.
Synonyms and how they differ
- attire
- Attire is formal but still used today, unlike the poetic raiment.
- garb
- Garb often suggests a particular style of dress, such as a uniform.
- apparel
- Apparel is a commercial and formal word, used in shops and fashion.
- vestments
- Vestments are special ceremonial robes, especially worn by priests.
Opposites
Word family
Practice
In which setting is raiment most natural?
Choose one answer.
Raiment is archaic and literary, so it suits a fantasy or historical story.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “raiment”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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