uniform

uniform — noun

1. the standard clothing that every person in a group — such as a school, company,

1.nounA2
Definition

the standard clothing that every person in a group — such as a school, company, hospital, or sports team — must wear so that all members can be recognised easily.

Example

All students at Noor's school must wear a navy blue uniform with a white shirt.

wear + uniform for school groups

The police officer put on her uniform before starting her morning shift.

Common collocations
  • school uniform
  • military uniform
  • nurse's uniform
  • wear a uniform
  • in uniform
  • uniform policy
  • uniform shop
  • change out of uniform
Synonyms
  • outfit

    less formal; any coordinated set of clothes, not necessarily required by an organisation

  • regalia

    formal or ceremonial uniforms, especially of royalty or official orders

  • attire

    formal; refers to a style of clothing rather than a specific mandatory set

Antonyms
  • civilian clothes

    ordinary non-uniform clothing, especially in contrast to military or police uniform

Grammar Patterns

wear + uniform

in + uniform

uniform + for [organization]

Usage Note

Commonly uncountable when used with 'in' ('officers in uniform'). Countable when referring to one specific set ('a clean uniform').

Common Mistakes

She wore a costume to her new office job.
She wore a uniform to her new office job.
'costume' means clothes for a performance or party; 'uniform' is the standard work clothing of an organisation.
The army soldiers put on their uniforms.
The soldiers put on their uniforms.
'army' already tells us the group; repeating it before 'uniforms' is unnecessary.

2. a style of clothing that a particular person or group of people typically wears

2.nounB1
Definition

a style of clothing that a particular person or group of people typically wears in a specific situation, even though it is not officially required.

Example

The tourists wore the casual uniform of shorts, T-shirts, and flip-flops.

the uniform of [group]: typical clothing

Ilan could spot the office workers by their uniform of dark suits and leather briefcases.

Common collocations
  • the uniform of
  • casual uniform
  • traditional uniform
  • summer uniform
  • uniform of choice
Synonyms
  • costume

    can refer to traditional ethnic or regional dress, but also implies clothing for a performance or special occasion

  • garb

    formal or literary; the clothing characteristic of a particular profession or way of life

Grammar Patterns

(the) uniform + of [person/group]

Usage Note

Frequently appears in the pattern 'the uniform of [someone/something]' to describe what is considered typical dress rather than an official rule.

uniform — adjective

uniform — verb

Word family

  • uniformly
    adverbB2
  • uniformity
    nounB2
  • uniformed
    adjectiveB2
  • non-uniform
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All five words describe clothing, but they differ in formality and what kind of clothes they refer to. 'Uniform' is the only word that implies a mandatory, standardised set of clothes worn by everyone in a group (school, team, workplace). 'Outfit' is the most casual and general — it means any coordinated set of clothes you put on, whether for a special occasion or an ordinary day. 'Costume' overlaps with 'uniform' only when talking about traditional or historical dress ('a traditional costume'); otherwise it means clothes for a performance, party, or disguise. 'Attire' is more formal and refers to a general style ('formal attire', 'business attire') rather than a specific set of clothes. 'Garb' is literary or old-fashioned and often suggests distinctive clothing of a profession or culture ('clerical garb', 'festive garb'). For example, you would say 'the nurse changed into her uniform before the shift' (required), but 'Mauricio wore a sharp outfit to the dinner party' (chosen).

uniform ↗outfitcostume ↗attiregarb

Common collocations

Nouns

  • uniform colour
  • uniform size
  • uniform height
  • uniform temperature
  • uniform distribution
  • uniform quality

Adverbs

  • remarkably uniform
  • fairly uniform
  • almost uniform
  • relatively uniform
  • essentially uniform
  • roughly uniform
  • strictly uniform

Phrases

  • uniform from one area to another
  • uniform across the board
  • in a uniform manner

Prepositions

  • uniform in [colour/size/shape]
  • uniform across [region/department]
  • uniform throughout [area/period]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'uniform' entered English in the mid-1500s from French 'uniforme', which came from Latin 'uniformis'. The Latin root combines 'unus' (one) and 'forma' (shape or form), so the original idea was 'having one shape'. The noun sense — a standard set of clothes that makes members of a group look the same — developed in the 1700s as modern armies and organisations began requiring standardised dress. The adjective sense ('not varying') preserves the original Latin meaning most directly.