textile

American  

[teks-tahyl, -til] / ˈtɛks taɪl, -tɪl /

noun

1. any cloth or goods produced by weaving, knitting, or felting.

2. a material, as a fiber or yarn, used in or suitable for weaving.

   Glass can be used as a textile.

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adjective

1. woven or capable of being woven.

   textile fabrics.

2. of or relating to weaving.

3. of or relating to textiles or the production of textiles.

   the textile industry.

textile British  

/ ˈtɛkstaɪl /

noun

1. any fabric or cloth, esp woven

2. raw material suitable to be made into cloth; fibre or yarn

3. a non-nudist, as described by nudists; one who wears clothes

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adjective

1. of or relating to fabrics or the making of fabrics

Etymology

Origin of textile

1520–30; < Latin textilis woven, textile (noun use of neuter) woven fabric, equivalent to text ( us ), past participle of texere to weave + -ilis, -ile -ile

Explanation

A textile is something made by knitting, weaving, or crocheting fibers together. A textile is a cloth. You’re probably wearing a textile right now! Textile comes from the Latin word, textilis for "woven fabric” and that's exactly what it is. If you’re in the textile business, you’re dealing with the stuff that gets turned into clothes, flags, dishrags, or anything else made of cloth. If you knit a scarf, you create a hand-made textile — although the word is more often used in art or industry, as in textile design or textile imports.

Example Sentences

African countries are taking a stand at the World Trade Organization to bolster their cotton sector, launching a platform tasked with mobilising investment to transform the cotton, textile and clothing value chain.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Weavers and bank tellers feared for their livelihoods at the time, but the Industrial Revolution led to significantly more hiring in the textile sector, and banks increased employment after ATMs were introduced.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

In years past, she said in a post on X, women would throng textile stores, giving a discerning touch to the fabric they would purchase for newlyweds.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2026

They would be asked to set up a business, or have an active role in Fair Isle knitwear - a textile developed on the island in the early 19th Century.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

This was East Durham, an area of run-down houses built around the turn of the century by the textile manufacturers for their workers.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

• cloth
• fiber
• goods
• yarn