or·na·men·tal
ˌȯr-nə-ˈmen-tᵊl 
: of, relating to, or serving as ornament
specifically
: grown as an ornamental
: a decorative object
especially
: a plant cultivated for its beauty rather than for use
Examples of ornamental in a Sentence
Adjective
The garden has many ornamental shrubs.
the trim on Victorian houses is sometimes elaborately ornamental
Noun
The garden has many beautiful ornamentals.
a collection of fragile ornamentals kept in a glass cabinet
Recent Examples on the Web
Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Luckily, several herbicides available to spray on the invading grass can be used among ornamental plants listed on the products’ labels.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2025
Today, crabapple trees—tough ornamentals native to the Central Asian mountains—blanket Detroit.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornamental
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
Another harder-to-find fuchsia that can stand some shade and has more ornamental, deeper green foliage is Wayne’s Silver Fuchsia (Epilobium septentrionale ‘Wayne’s Silver’).
—Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 2 June 2025
Luckily, several herbicides available to spray on the invading grass can be used among ornamental plants listed on the products’ labels.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 17 May 2025
Noun
To maintain healthy ornamentals that bloom abundantly, avoid pruning these 10 plants in summer.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2025
Today, crabapple trees—tough ornamentals native to the Central Asian mountains—blanket Detroit.
—Sarah Durn, Popular Science, 5 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for ornamental
Cite this Entry
“Ornamental.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ornamental. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
ornamental
1 of 2 adjective
or·na·men·tal
ˌȯr-nə-ˈment-ᵊl
: of, relating to, or serving as ornament
ornamental
2 of 2 noun
: a decorative object
especially
: a plant cultivated for its beauty rather than for use
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share