embellishment

noun

em·​bel·​lish·​ment im-ˈbe-lish-mənt 

1

: the act or process of embellishing

2

: something serving to embellish

3

: ornament sense 5

Synonyms

• adornment
• beautifier
• caparison
• decoration
• doodad
• embellisher
• frill
• garnish
• garnishment
• garniture
• ornament
• ornamentation
• setoff
• trim

Examples of embellishment in a Sentence

a colorful mobile is just the embellishment that the soon-to-be nursery needs

the actor's penchant for embellishment suggests that his memoirs would be more appropriately shelved in the fiction section

Recent Examples on the Web

As reported, Murakami, a contemporary artist known for his floral embellishments, was commissioned by Complex to create a limited edition of fan gear and collectibles for the series. —Jean E. Palmieri, WWD, 20 Mar. 2025

Blumarine and Valentino followed suit, incorporating peasant-style tops, ornate embellishments, and billowing silhouettes in their Milan and Paris collections. —Jailynn Taylor, Essence, 19 Mar. 2025

William Morrow, 352 pages, $30 The best historical fiction folds real events into a plausible narrative, with a soupçon of embellishment, without distorting the facts while making these events as relevant as today’s incidents. —Oline H. Cogdill, Sun Sentinel, 13 Mar. 2025

Rather, there was a bricolage of fantasized pasts, with lavish furs and ornate embellishment reimagined for everyday wear. —Alice Pfeiffer, CNN, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1591, in the meaning defined at sense 1