costume
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the clothes worn by an actor in a play or movie to look like a character.
n.the specific attire worn by a performer to represent a character or historical period.
Simple“The actors spent two hours in the dressing room putting on their Victorian costumes.”
In context“The production was praised for its authentic period costumes, which were meticulously researched to reflect the social hierarchy of eighteenth-century France.”
UsageOften used as a collective noun in professional theatre contexts.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.clothes you wear to a party to look like someone or something else, like a superhero or a ghost.
n.an outfit worn to create an appearance of a different identity, typically for social events or holidays.
Simple“He won first prize at the Halloween party for his clever robot costume.”
In context“The children arrived at the carnival in elaborate costumes ranging from mythical creatures to modern pop-culture icons.”
Synonymsdisguisefancy dress - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the traditional clothes of a particular country or time in history.
n.the distinctive style of dress characteristic of a particular nation, ethnicity, or historical era.
Simple“The dancers wore traditional folk costumes during the national holiday parade.”
In context“The museum's permanent collection includes several rare examples of regional costumes from the mountainous provinces of northern Italy.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.a piece of clothing you wear for swimming.
n.a garment designed for swimming; a shortened form of 'swimming costume'.
Simple“Don't forget to pack your costume and a towel for the beach.”
In context“She realized she had left her swimming costume in the locker room after the training session had already concluded.”
Teacher's tipIn American English, 'swimsuit' or 'bathing suit' is much more common than 'costume'.
Synonymsswimsuitbathers - 05 C1 Advanced
v.to provide an actor or a person with a specific set of clothes.
v.to design or provide costumes for a performer or a production.
Simple“The studio hired a famous designer to costume the entire cast of the new movie.”
In context“The challenge for the creative team was to costume the ensemble in a way that felt modern yet respected the original source material.”
UsageUsually used in the context of professional film or theatrical production.
costume vs custom — Custom is a repeated social practice; costume is a specific style of clothing.
Borrowed from French costume, from Italian costume, from Latin consuētūdō (“custom, habit”). Doublet of consuetude, custom, and kastom. Verb circa 1802, perhaps modelled on French costumer.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.