style

1 of 3

noun

1
a
: a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed
a unique style of horseback riding
the classical style of dance
b
: a distinctive manner of expression (as in writing or speech)
writes with more attention to style than to content
the flowery style of 18th century prose
c
: a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself
the formal style of the court
his style is abrasive
also : a particular mode of living
in high style
2
: a distinctive quality, form, or type of something
a new dress style
the Greek style of architecture
3
a
: the state of being popular : fashion
clothes that are always in style
b
: fashionable elegance
c
: beauty, grace, or ease of manner or technique
an awkward moment she handled with style
4
: a convention with respect to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and typographic arrangement and display followed in writing or printing
5
a
: stylus
c
: the filiform usually elongated part of the pistil bearing a stigma at its apex see flower illustration
d
: a slender elongated process (such as a bristle) on an animal
6
styleless adjective
stylelessness noun

style

2 of 3

verb

styled; styling; styles

transitive verb

1
: to give a particular style to: such as
a
: to give a particular shape to (hair)
She cuts and styles her own hair.
His hair was styled in thick spikes pointing skyward and he was wearing a leather jacket and jeans. "I looked like a punk rocker," he admits.Leigh Anne Williams
b
: to design and make (something, such as clothing) in a particular style or for a particular purpose
Our 30"-long skirt is flatteringly styled with front pleats and a plain back.Land's End catalog
Kids on … BMX bikes styled like motorcycles …Margaret Loeb
The coats, even those presumably styled for hunting, are woefully too short …Donald Atwell Zoll
c
: to wear (something, such as an article of clothing) as part of a particular fashion look (see look entry 2 sense 2c)
… these loafers … can easily be styled with jeans, khakis, or shorts alike, depending on the season.Ali Smith
Earlier this month, Hailey Bieber also headed to Vegas in a lime green trucker hat, styling it with a white tank and classic jeans.Christian Allaire
also : to select and arrange the clothing, hair, makeup, etc. of (someone) to create a particular fashion look
[Kylie] Jenner is styled in a dress by Anthony Vaccarello from Saint Laurent's 2020 fall collection. Danielle Drake-Flam
d
: to decorate (something, such as a room) in a particular way
… a … boutique hotel where each room is styled after a different country or region.Jenny White
2
: to call or designate by an identifying term : name
Jay King styles himself as the Indiana Jones of turquoise, telling tales of far-flung mines as he peddles chunky jewelry.Belinda Luscombe
… she styles herself as an entrepreneur looking to establish a "members-only club" on the model of Soho House.Sadie Stein
see also self-styled
styler noun
plural stylers

-style

3 of 3

adjective combining form or adverb combining form

: being in the style of
a Beaujolais-style wine
Choose the Right Synonym for style

fashion, style, mode, vogue, fad, rage, craze mean the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date.

fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

the current fashion

style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time
crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

Examples of style in a Sentence

Noun I don't like the flowery style of his writing. She has a unique style of singing. a baseball pitcher with an unusual style She writes with more attention to style than to content. The room was decorated in modern style. The car is available in several different styles. the Greek style of architecture The range of clothing styles has become more varied. His management style is abrasive. Verb She cuts and styles hair. She's having her hair styled tomorrow. a book styled for a general audience
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Each material has advantages (sturdy, easy to clean, modern style, colorful) and disadvantages (heavy, colorful, more fragile). Maya Polton, Parents, 23 Mar. 2024 No matter how active your trip is, these shoes will prepare you to take it all on with style and comfort, thanks to supportive midsoles, adjustable straps, and even an odor-controlling exterior. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024 The former teen princess has sported trendy short styles for decades, showing us that red hair makes just as much of an impact when cropped. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 22 Mar. 2024 Her style is starker and more stylized, with bold blacks as backdrops or in shadowy figures in the foreground. Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024 Oura Ring For the wellness guru who can’t fit an Apple Watch into their style, the Oura Ring is the best gift of the season. Anna Tingley, Variety, 22 Mar. 2024 Willem Dafoe: Wisconsin native, renowned actor ... and style icon? Dafoe and his fit were the subjects of a video posted to TikTok and Instagram this week by The People Gallery. Hannah Kirby, Journal Sentinel, 22 Mar. 2024 The second in platinum also features a two-tone style dial with southwestern brown and amber. Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 Keep reading here for style breakdowns, speech transcriptions and fun reunions. Lindsay Kimble, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
Verb
Women’s Tank Maxi Dress The ideal capsule wardrobe should primarily include comfortable pieces that can be styled a multitude of ways while traveling, and this flowy maxi dress from Amazon fits the bill. Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 23 Mar. 2024 The stylist duo Micah McDonald and Wayman Deon styled king in a black halter-style dress designed by Schiaparelli. Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 22 Mar. 2024 The film, which was directed, art directed, and styled by Tyler, playfully unpacks some of those elements. Luke Leitch, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 Her hair is styled in a braided look, with red and white beads at the ends of her bangs. Charna Flam, Peoplemag, 21 Mar. 2024 The baroque is slightly longer than other bobs, and is predominantly defined by how it’s styled. Hannah Coates, Glamour, 18 Mar. 2024 Her father, Louis Vadala, was a jazz drummer who styled himself as a free-ranging hepcat. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024 Besides the ruling pro-Kremlin United Russia party, there are several parties who style themselves as opposition. Fred Weir, The Christian Science Monitor, 15 Mar. 2024 On top of an already timeless look, Sweeney completed her Vanity Fair afterparty look with the debut of a new ‘do – a sultry bob that had been styled into loose waves. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024

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

Noun

Middle English stile, style, from Latin stilus spike, stem, stylus, style of writing; perhaps akin to Latin instigare to goad — more at stick

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 6

Verb

1570, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of style was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near style

Cite this Entry

“Style.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/style. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

style

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: a way of expressing oneself (as in speaking or writing)
b
: a particular way by which something is done, created, or performed
a unique style of horseback riding
the classical style of dance
2
b
: a column built so that its shadow indicates the time of day
c
: the narrow long middle part of the pistil of a flower which bears the stigma at its tip
3
a
: the state of being popular : fashion
clothes that are always in style
b
: fashionable elegance
c
: beauty, grace, or ease of doing something
handled the awkward moment with style
4
: the custom or plan followed in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and arrangement and display of type
styleless adjective

style

2 of 2 verb
styled; styling
1
: to call by an identifying term : name
style themselves scientists
2
a
: to give a particular style to
cuts and styles hair
b
: to design or make in agreement with an accepted way of doing something
styler noun

More from Merriam-Webster on style

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