What does apparelling mean?
Apparelling is the act of dressing or clothing someone, particularly in fine, formal, or elaborate garments. It functions as the present participle and gerund of the verb 'apparel', so it can describe an ongoing action ('the servants were apparelling the king') or refer to the activity of clothing in general. The word carries connotations of ceremony, luxury, and careful attention to dress, which is why it appears most often in historical fiction, period drama, and descriptions of aristocratic life rather than in everyday conversation. Its double-L spelling is standard in British English, while American usage favours the single-L form 'appareling'. Although it shares its opening letters with 'appalling', the two words are entirely unrelated in meaning — one describes horror, the other haberdashery. For readers interested in the history of English, 'apparelling' offers a window into the language's French roots and its long association with rank, ritual, and display through dress.
To dress or clothe someone, especially in fine or elaborate garments.
"The pages were apparelling the knights before the tournament."
Literary register; largely replaced by 'dressing' or 'clothing' in modern usage.
The act or process of clothing someone; the provision of garments.
"Apparelling the entire household was a considerable annual expense for the estate."
Though 'apparelling' sounds like a typo of 'appalling', it's actually a centuries-old word for the elegant art of dressing someone — and it comes from the same Latin root as 'prepare' and 'apparatus'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of apparelling
The verb 'apparel' entered Middle English from Old French 'apareiller' (to prepare, equip, or fit out), which itself descends from the Latin 'apparare', meaning to make ready, formed from 'ad-' (toward) plus 'parare' (to prepare). This same Latin root gives English several other words, including 'apparatus', 'preparation', 'repair', and 'separate'. Over time the sense narrowed from equipping generally to clothing specifically, and the present participle 'apparelling' follows the standard British doubling of the final consonant before '-ing'.
Related word forms
How apparelling is actually used
A somewhat literary or archaic-flavoured word, most often encountered in historical fiction, costume drama, or older texts. The spelling 'apparelling' (double L) is standard in British English; American English typically uses 'appareling' with one L, though both are understood. In everyday modern speech, simpler verbs like 'dressing' or 'clothing' are far more common.
Easily confused with apparelling
'Appalling' means shockingly bad or horrifying, while 'apparelling' relates to dressing or clothing someone; the words look similar but share nothing in meaning.