ornate

adjective

or·​nate ȯr-ˈnāt How to pronounce ornate (audio)
1
: marked by elaborate rhetoric (see rhetoric sense 2b) or florid (see florid sense 1a) style
is clear and simple rather than ornate and pompousThe Times Literary Supplement (London)
2
: elaborately or excessively decorated
an ornate mantle
an ornate townhouse
ornate chandeliers
ornately adverb
ornateness noun

Examples of ornate in a Sentence

She doesn't like ornate jewelry. an ornate gambling casino that is designed to look like an Italian palace
Recent Examples on the Web The room, which is decorated with ornate paintings, was found attached to a large house in the ancient Italian city, according to a June 3 news release from the Pompeii Archaeological Park. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 4 June 2024 On a humid morning late last summer, Bolger saw clients in an upstairs room at the ‘Quin House, a modish Back Bay members’ club in an ornate Commonwealth Avenue limestone. Joseph Bernstein Robert Petkoff Krish Seenivasan Devin Murphy, New York Times, 3 June 2024 The contentious atmosphere is so vividly dramatized that the domestic upheaval of the Mortara clan, and Edgardo’s introduction to an ornate, alien world, have the immediacy of personal experience wryly recalled. Armond White, National Review, 31 May 2024 Guests get to the 3,200-square-foot apartment through the ornate lobby of the Osborne building, built around 1885. David Caraccio, Sacramento Bee, 30 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for ornate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ornate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ornat, from Latin ornatus, past participle of ornare to furnish, embellish; akin to Latin ordo order — more at order

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ornate was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near ornate

Cite this Entry

“Ornate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ornate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

ornate

adjective
or·​nate ȯr-ˈnāt How to pronounce ornate (audio)
: decorated in a fancy way
ornately adverb
ornateness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on ornate

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