What does undergarment mean?
An undergarment is a garment intended to be worn beneath outer clothing, usually next to the skin. The term includes familiar items such as undershirts, camisoles, bras, briefs, and thermal layers, but it can also name a category of clothing rather than a particular style. In everyday conversation, underwear is generally more familiar; undergarment is especially common in retail, clothing-care, and legal contexts. Both singular and plural uses are established, although plural undergarments is more natural when referring to several items. The word is notably neutral: it is not limited to the category usually called underwear, nor does it inherently carry the more intimate associations that some speakers may connect with lingerie. Its practical advantage is that it identifies clothing by its place and function in an outfit rather than by style alone. That makes it especially useful in catalogs, inventories, care instructions, and descriptions of layered clothing.
nounA garment worn beneath outer clothing, usually next to the body. The term may refer to a particular item or to this general category of clothing.
- Any item of clothing worn beneath outer clothing, especially underwear, an undershirt, a camisole, or a similar base layer.
"The tailor recommended a lightweight undergarment beneath the linen suit."
"She folded each clean undergarment and placed it in the top drawer."
"The clothing label advised washing the undergarment separately at a low temperature."
The plural is standard and is used for several individual items or for clothing in the category.
"The shop stocks thermal undergarments for hiking and winter sports."
English turns a simple idea of position into a precise label: an undergarment is clothing chosen for its place beneath the clothes you show.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does undergarment come from?
Undergarment is an English compound formed from the prefix under- and the noun garment, and it is attested from the early modern English period. Garment entered Middle English through Old French garnement, ultimately related to the French verb garnir, meaning to equip or furnish. The same historical root survives in words such as garment and garnish, while parallel English compounds include underclothes, underclothing, and underwear.
Related word forms
How undergarment is actually used
The word is standard in British and American English and is especially common in retail, clothing-care, and descriptive contexts. It is generally more formal and less intimate than underwear, while lingerie usually emphasizes intimate or decorative garments.
Easily confused with undergarment
Underwear is the familiar collective term for clothing worn next to the skin, whereas undergarment may describe one specific item or the broader category of clothing worn beneath outer layers.