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

He added, "By utilizing this principle, we can expand beyond safe clothing without harsh chemicals to an infinite range of applications, including wearable devices and medical textile systems."

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

Another social media user has reported that the textile company where their sister-in-law worked has fired 600 out of their 650 personnel, as they cannot import raw material from Australia anymore.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

The textile sector -- one of the country's largest exporters -- will be first in line to feel the pain from a prolonged energy shock, the official added.

From Barron's • Apr. 21, 2026

Sherman Adams, Eisenhower’s chief of staff, resigned in 1958 after refusing to answer questions about a vicuña coat and an Asian rug given to him by a textile manufacturer.

From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026

Zinaida had worked in a textile factory for five years before joining the 122nd Air Group, and she was assigned to become a parachute packer for the 586th Fighter Aviation Regiment.

From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein

Related Words

• cloth
• fiber
• goods
• yarn