English Reference

Word

nude

US/ˈnud/

UK/njˈuːd/

Definitions

01not wearing clothes

B2

adj. not wearing any clothes; naked.

adj. without clothing or other covering of the skin; naked.

“The swimmers found a quiet beach where they could go nude.”

“The protesters marched through the city centre nude to draw attention to their environmental campaign, though they were eventually stopped by local authorities.”

Antonyms

02skin-coloured

B2

adj. having a pale pink or tan colour that looks like skin.

adj. of a colour, such as beige or tan, intended to match or evoke the appearance of bare skin.

“She wore a pair of nude heels that matched her skin tone perfectly.”

“The fashion designer's spring collection focused on a palette of nude and earthy tones, aiming for a minimalist and natural aesthetic.”

Synonyms

flesh-tonedbeigetan

03artistic depiction

B2 · Theatre

n. a painting, photo, or statue of a person who is not wearing clothes.

n. a work of art, such as a painting or sculpture, depicting the unclothed human figure.

“The museum has a famous gallery dedicated to classical nudes.”

“The exhibition traces the evolution of the nude in Western art, from idealised Greek sculptures to the more realistic portrayals of the Renaissance.”

Synonyms

04the state of nakedness

B2

n. the state of being naked.

n. the state of total nudity; often used in the phrase 'in the nude'.

“He prefers to sleep in the nude during the hot summer months.”

“The artist's memoir describes the liberation she felt while living in a community where everyone spent their days in the nude.”

Synonyms

nuditynakedness

05legally void

C2 · Law

adj. not legally valid or having no power.

adj. lacking legal force or effect; void.

“The old contract was considered nude because it lacked a proper signature.”

“The judge ruled the agreement was a nude pact, as it lacked the necessary consideration to be enforceable under common law.”

Archaic · Technical

Usage

Commonly found in the Latin legal phrase 'nudum pactum' (a bare promise).

Synonyms

Antonyms

Real-World Examples

“The Renaissance’s answer to a pair of pre-distressed jeans … Michelangelo’s Model of a Nude Woman, from around 1533.”
The Guardian · 29 Sept 2026
“Marval is believed to have created one of the earliest female nude self-portraits in the history of painting.”
The Guardian · 19 Aug 2026

Etymology

Entered English 1493 as a legal term, meaning "unsupported, not formally attested," from Middle English nud, from Latin nūdus (“naked, bare”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Domain

Law

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/nude

English Reference