raiment
C2Literary, archaic, biblical.
Definition
Meaning
Clothing, garments.
Clothing considered collectively, often with a poetic or formal connotation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A collective noun for clothing, carrying connotations of richness, formality, or antiquity. Not used for a single garment.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally rare and literary in both dialects. No regional preference.
Connotations
Conveys a poetic, old-fashioned, or biblically resonant tone in both.
Frequency
Extremely low frequency in both; found primarily in classic literature, hymns, or deliberate archaisms.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
clothed in (raiment)arrayed in (raiment)dressed in (raiment)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Clothed in fine raiment.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Not used.
Academic
Rare; only in historical or literary analysis (e.g., 'the symbolism of royal raiment in Shakespeare').
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Not used in any technical field.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The king was raimented in silk and gold.
American English
- The portrait shows him raimented in military finery.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
adjective
British English
- Not applicable.
American English
- Not applicable.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Not used at this level.
- Not used at this level.
- She admired the fine raiment of the historical figures in the painting.
- The poet described the autumn leaves as nature's discarded raiment, a tapestry of gold and crimson.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'RAY of light on fine MENT (garment).' A ray of light illuminates splendid garments.
Conceptual Metaphor
CLOTHING IS A COVERING / CLOTHING IS STATUS.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid confusing with 'рейсмус' (reismus - a drawing tool). It has no relation to одежда. Remember it as a poetic, old word for 'одеяние', 'облачение'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to refer to a single item ('a raiment'), using it in modern contexts, mispronouncing as /ˈreɪmɛnt/.
Practice
Quiz
In which context would 'raiment' be most appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost exclusively found in literary, poetic, biblical, or historical contexts. It sounds archaic.
No, it is a collective noun referring to clothing as a whole, similar to 'attire' or 'apparel'.
There is no difference in denotation, but 'raiment' carries strong connotations of elegance, formality, or antiquity, whereas 'clothing' is completely neutral.
It is neither specifically British nor American. It is an archaic/literary term equally rare and understood in both dialects.