style
Pluralstyles
Pluralstyles
- 1The typical way something is made, done, or expressed, for example in art, buildings, writing, or speech.
Like the way each cook makes the same dish a little differently.
The house was built in an old style.
I love the bright style of her paintings.
UsageSay in the style of: a house in the style of a castle.
Note
- 2A person's own way of acting or doing things, especially when it shows skill or grace.
Like adding a small flourish to your handwriting: it shows your own touch.
She handled the tough question with real style.
He plays the game with style and confidence.
UsageSay with style. Not my style means you would not do it.
Similarflair, panache, elegance, grace, finesse
Oppositeclumsiness, awkwardness, inelegance
- 3
- 4To give something a particular design or shape, or to choose and arrange someone's clothes, hair, or look.
Like shaping clay into the form you want.
Designers style each car to look fast and modern.
He styled the cake to look like a castle.
UsageUse styled after to name the model: styled after a castle.
- 5A change to how text or parts of a document look, such as bold or italic.
Like a stamp that instantly gives text a certain look.
Click the button to add a bold style to the title.
She applied a new style to every heading in the file.
Similarformat, formatting
Note
- 6
- 7A set of rules a publisher uses for how words and pictures should look on the page.
Like a recipe everyone in the kitchen follows so the food always comes out the same.
The magazine has its own style for spelling and punctuation.
Editors follow the house style when they prepare a book.
UsageOften in house style: a publisher's own rules.
Similarconventions, rules
Note
Less common meanings
- 8The official words used to address or name someone who has a title, such as a king or judge.
Like a name tag that shows exactly what to call someone important.
The ambassador was addressed by the style "Your Excellency" throughout the ceremony.
In court, the proper style for a judge is Your Honor.
Similartitle, form, honorific, designation
Note
- 9To act or dress in a flashy way to show off how good you look.
Like a peacock spreading its feathers to be noticed.
He pulled up to the party styling in a brand-new convertible.
Look at you in that new jacket, you are really styling!
UsageOften as styling: he was styling on the court.
- 10The thin stalk inside a flower that links the pollen-catching tip to the part where seeds form.
Like a thin neck joining the top of the flower to its base.
In a lily, the long style rises from the center of the bloom.
Pollen tubes grow down through the style to reach the ovary.
Note
- 11A sharp pointed tool once used for writing on soft surfaces, or for cutting fine lines when engraving.
- 12The raised part of a sundial that casts a shadow to show the time.
- 13A thin, pointed part on an animal's body, such as a tiny spike near the end of an insect.
- 14A surgical tool with a blunt tip, used to gently explore a wound or opening.
Showing meanings only.
Practice
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Origin
The noun comes from Old French and Latin 'stilus', which meant a pointed writing tool and also a way of expressing things. The verb comes from the noun.
Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- The noun derives from Old French and Latin stilus. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin stilus meant a pointed writing tool and a way of expressing things. en.wiktionary.org
- The verb derives from the noun. en.wiktionary.org