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Synonyms

underwear

American  
[uhn-der-wair] / ˈʌn dərˌwɛər /

noun

  1. clothing worn worn next to the skin under outer clothes.


underwear British  
/ ˈʌndəˌwɛə /

noun

  1. Also called: underclothes.  clothing worn under the outer garments, usually next to the skin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of underwear

First recorded in 1870–75; under- + wear

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The company’s menswear line is the official underwear partner of the NBA, and its bras, tops and sweatpants for women are hugely popular.

From Los Angeles Times

Gibson even recalls their early attempts at “packing” by putting a Papa Smurf figure in their underwear, as well as their present mindset about feeling genderless and not caring if people mis-pronoun them.

From Salon

But an issue quickly loomed nearly as large as the mountain of underwear Jeff was cramming into his luggage.

From Salon

“I mean, I had sock garters on and a pair of candy-cane underwear, so you really can’t get much more naked than that without changing the movie title. I had an absolute blast.”

From Los Angeles Times

The man then left the scene of the break-in with stolen underwear and pizza, White said.

From Los Angeles Times