brassiere

IPA/ˈbræz.i.eər/
IPA/brəˈzɪr/

brassiere — noun

  • brassieresingular
  • brassieresplural

1. a formal word for a bra, the undergarment women wear beneath their clothes to su

1.nounC1
Definition

a formal word for a bra, the undergarment women wear beneath their clothes to support the breasts

Example

The museum label described the silk undergarment as a brassiere from 1912.

formal labeling: described as a brassiere

Elena found a paper pattern for a brassiere in her grandmother's sewing box.

collocation: pattern for a brassiere

Common collocations
  • strapless brassiere
  • lace brassiere
  • wear a brassiere
  • brassiere straps
  • measure for a brassiere
Synonyms
  • bra

    the normal everyday word and far more common in speech

  • underwear

    broader term for clothing worn under outer clothes, not only this garment

  • lingerie

    broader and more fashion-oriented, often suggesting attractive women's underclothes

Grammar Patterns

a brassiere

wear a brassiere

Usage Note

Mostly seen in formal, old-fashioned, or retail wording. In everyday conversation, English speakers usually say 'bra' instead.

Common Mistakes

She bought brassiere yesterday.
She bought a brassiere yesterday.
The word is countable when you mean one item.
Most people say brassiere in casual conversation.
Most people usually say bra in casual conversation.
'Brassiere' sounds formal or dated in ordinary speech.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Brassiere is a formal or somewhat old-fashioned word for the garment that supports the breasts. In ordinary conversation, most speakers simply say bra, which is shorter and much more natural in everyday speech. Underwear is a broader word for clothes worn under outer clothes, so it is less exact when you mean this single item. Lingerie also reaches wider: it often refers to women's underclothes as stylish or attractive fashion items, not just one breast-supporting garment. Because of that, an old catalog or receipt may say brassiere, while a modern shopper is more likely to ask for a bra size.

brassiere ↗bra ↗underwear ↗lingerie ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • wear a brassiere
  • buy a brassiere
  • measure for a brassiere

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

Borrowed into English from French brassière. In French the word first referred to a close-fitting upper garment, and in English it later narrowed to the meaning of a breast-supporting undergarment.