vestis
[ˈwɛs.tɪs]
The English word "dress" is translated into Latin as vestis.
vestis refers to an item of clothing that covers the upper part of the body and includes a skirt below the waist. It can also be used more broadly to refer to general attire.
Meaning: item of clothing which both covers the upper part of the body and includes a skirt below the waist (noun)
Which one should you use?
While vestis is a noun for the garment itself, there are related verbs for the action of dressing. Use vestiō when you are performing the transitive action of clothing someone else, but use vestior when describing the intransitive act of dressing oneself.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
vestis is a third-declension feminine noun. Its nominative singular form is vestis, and its nominative plural form is vestes.
Did you know?
- The English verb 'wear' and the Latin noun vestis are distant linguistic cousins, both originating from the same ancient Proto-Indo-European root.
- In Roman culture, the type of vestis a person wore signaled their social rank and citizenship status to everyone in the street.
- The Latin term vestis gave rise to the English word 'vestment', which now refers almost exclusively to specialized religious clothing.
Examples in context
- vestis festivaFestive dress
- vestis sumptuosaSumptuous dress
- Indue vestem hanc ante festum!Put on this dress before the party!
Example conversation
Claudia and Gaius are preparing for a party.
- ClaudiaGai, vide hanc vestem!Gaius, look at this dress!
- GaiusIta, vestis optima est.Yes, it is a great dress.
- ClaudiaPutasne vestem aptam esse?Do you think the dress is fitting?
- GaiusVērē, vestis tē decet.Truly, the dress suits you.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry vestis, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vestis, CC BY-SA 4.0.
