textile

textile — noun

1. A woven or knitted material made from natural or synthetic fibres, used for maki

1.nounB1
Definition

A woven or knitted material made from natural or synthetic fibres, used for making clothing, curtains, upholstery, and other household or industrial goods.

Example

Amani bought cotton textiles from the market to sew new curtains for her bedroom.

bought + textile + for [purpose]

The museum displayed ancient textiles that were over two thousand years old.

ancient + textile (age/antiquity collocation)

Common collocations
  • cotton textile
  • woollen textile
  • synthetic textile
  • textile fibre
  • textile design
  • textile printing
  • textile production
  • fine textile
Synonyms
  • fabric

    More general and commonly used in everyday speech; 'fabric' can refer to any woven or knitted material without the industrial connotation that 'textile' sometimes carries.

  • cloth

    More basic term (A2); typically refers to a specific piece of material for a particular purpose (e.g., a tablecloth), whereas 'textile' often refers to the material type or industry.

  • material

    Very broad term (A2); can mean any substance. When used for textiles, it usually refers to the raw fabric without specifying its structure or production method.

Grammar Patterns

textile + noun (attributive)

plural: textiles

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form 'textiles' when referring to cloth products in general. The attributive use ('textile industry', 'textile worker', 'textile mill') is very common and may feel more natural than the singular noun form in many contexts.

Common Mistakes

This shirt is made of a soft textile.
This shirt is made of a soft fabric.
'Textile' often sounds industrial or technical; 'fabric' or 'cloth' is more natural for describing a finished garment.

Word family

  • textiles
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words refer to something used to make clothes and other goods, but they differ in scope and register. 'Cloth' (A2) is the most basic — it suggests a specific piece of woven material, often cotton, used for a practical purpose like wiping or covering. 'Fabric' (B1) is broader and more neutral; you would describe a shirt as being made of 'a soft fabric', not 'a textile'. 'Textile' (B1) leans industrial or technical — it emphasises the production process (weaving, knitting) and is common in business contexts ('textile exports'). 'Material' (A2) is widest of all and can refer to any substance. For everyday conversation about clothing, 'fabric' is usually the best choice. For discussions about manufacturing, trade, or historical cloth types, 'textile' fits better.

textile ↗fabric ↗cloth ↗material ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • textile industry
  • textile factory
  • textile mill
  • textile worker
  • textile manufacturer
  • textile company
  • textile trade
  • textile production

Phrases

  • textile and garment sector
  • textile manufacturing process

Prepositions

  • made of textile
  • textile for [use]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'textile' comes from the Latin 'textilis', meaning 'woven', which itself comes from 'texere', meaning 'to weave'. It entered English in the 17th century via French ('textile'). The underlying idea of weaving threads together has stayed central to the word's meaning ever since.