What does wallcovering mean?
Wallcovering is the general term for material used to cover or decorate a wall. Unlike the narrower word “wallpaper,” it can refer to paper, vinyl, fabric, and other decorative or protective finishes. The term is common in British and American English, particularly in discussions of interior design, renovation, and home decorating. “Wallcovering” is often used collectively as an uncountable noun, as in “remove the old wallcovering,” while “wallcoverings” can identify separate products, patterns, or rolls. Because it names a category rather than one specific material, it is especially useful when discussing several kinds of wall finish or when the material has not yet been identified. Its distinction from “wallpaper” also prevents a broader process or selection of wall finishes from being confused with paper alone.
nounMaterial applied to a wall as a decorative or protective covering, such as wallpaper, vinyl, fabric, or another wall finish. The term may refer collectively to wallcovering or, in the plural, to particular coverings or types of covering.
- Material used to cover or decorate the surface of a wall, including wallpaper and other wall finishes.
"The designer chose a textured wallcovering that softened the stark light from the windows."
"The old wallcovering was removed before the walls were painted."
"Printed floral wallcovering gives this compact office a more welcoming appearance."
The plural is used for separate coverings, types, patterns, or rolls rather than wallcovering as a collective material.
"The showroom offered several wallcoverings in muted colours."
Wallcovering is the decorator’s umbrella term: it can mean paper, vinyl, fabric—or almost anything else fixed to a wall.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of wallcovering
The word is an English compound formed from “wall” and “covering.” “Wall” comes from Old English wæll, borrowed from Latin vallum, meaning a rampart or embankment, while “covering” developed from “cover,” which traces through Old French to Latin cooperire, “to cover.” Present-day English standardizes the expression as the closed compound “wallcovering,” and the same Latin root also appears in cognates such as “cover” and “covert.”
Related word forms
How wallcovering is actually used
The word is standard in British and American English and is especially common in interior decoration and construction. It is usually treated as an uncountable collective noun, although the plural “wallcoverings” is used for distinct coverings, types, or rolls.
Easily confused with wallcovering
Wallpaper is specifically wallpaper, whereas wallcovering is the broader category that also includes vinyl, fabric, and other materials used to cover walls.