Meaning of style in English

style

noun

/staɪl/ uk

/staɪl/

style noun (WAY)

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B1 [ C or U ]

a way of doing something, especially one that is typical of a person, group of people, place, or period:

style of Jones favors a dynamic, hands-on style of management.

in style His office is very utilitarian in style, with no decoration.

be your style informal

to be the type of thing that you would do:

He wouldn't try to mislead you - it's not his style.

More examplesFewer examples

a flamboyant style of choreography
a conversational style of writing
Most of her films have a documentary style.
This painting perfectly exemplifies the naturalistic style that was so popular at the time.
Paul has a hands-off style of management.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Ways of achieving things

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style noun (FASHION)

B1 [ C or U ]

fashion, especially in clothing:

a style consultant

I read the fashion pages in the newspapers to keep up with the latest styles.

in style The classic black dress is always in style.

Synonyms

craze
fad
fashion  (POPULAR STYLE)
mania (STRONG INTEREST) disapproving
mode (FASHION)
trend 
vogue

Compare

cult noun

mania (STRONG INTEREST) disapproving

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

fashion

fashionFashion trends for the season include light, cool fabrics.
styleA crisp navy suit will always be in style.
trendThe trend is now to wear skirts longer.
fadLet's hope this obsession with celebrity lifestyles is just a fad.
crazeBike shorts were the latest craze that year.

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More examplesFewer examples

He has plenty of money but no style.
So how did a diminutive Australian soap star get to be this great icon of style and beauty?
He reads all the latest style magazines.
I like her style.
Black is always in style.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Fashion

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style noun (DESIGN)

B1 [ C ]

a particular shape or design, especially of a person's hair, clothes, or a piece of furniture:

style of a formal style of hat

Her hair was cut in a really nice style.

See also

hairstyle

More examplesFewer examples

a plain style of architecture
Prince Charles condemned the assertively modernist style of architecture.
Their house was decorated in a style that was not to my taste.
The school uniform is quasi-military in style.
She had her hair cut in a boyish style.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Categories and varieties

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style noun (HIGH QUALITY)

B2 [ U ] approving

high quality in appearance, design, or behavior:

have real style That car's got real style, which is no surprise considering how much it cost.

in/with style When she decides to do something, she always does it in/with great style.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Attractive

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Quality and standard

style noun (FLOWER PART)

[ C ] biology specialized

the middle part of the carpel (= female part) of a flower, connecting the ovary to the stigma

Yulia Naumenko/Moment/GettyImages

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Parts of plants

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Idiom

as if it is going out of style

style

verb [ T ]

/staɪl/ uk

/staɪl/

style verb [T] (DESIGN)

to shape or design something such as a person's hair or an object like a piece of clothing or furniture or a book, especially so that it looks attractive:

You've had your hair styled - it really suits you.

This range of jackets is styled to look good whatever the occasion.

More examplesFewer examples

I think they could style her hair in a more flattering way.
Her hair was styled to look like a 50s movie star.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Patterns and shapes

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Inventing, designing and innovation

style verb [T] (TITLE)

to give a title to a person or group:

[ + noun ] She styles herself "Doctor" but she doesn't have a degree.

See also

self-styled usually disapproving

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Names and titles

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Phrasal verb

style it out

-style

suffix

/ -staɪl/ uk

/ -staɪl/

in the style mentioned:

Japanese-style management

antique-style furniture

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Ways of achieving things

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(Definition of style from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

style | Intermediate English

style

noun

/stɑɪl/

style noun (WAY)

Add to word list Add to word list

[ C/U ]

a way of doing something, esp. one that is typical of a person, group of people, place, or time:

[ C ] Puente fused Latin with other musical styles.

[ C ] The book is written in the style of an 18th-century novel.

[ U ] His portraits were awkward in style.

[ C/U ]

Style is also a special quality that makes a person or thing seem different and attractive:

[ U ] I like this team – the players have style.

style noun (DESIGN)

[ C ]

a particular form or design:

They had hundreds of styles of light fixtures in stock.

[ C ]

Style also means fashion:

[ C ] I keep up with the latest styles.

[ U ] The classic black dress is always in style.

[ C ] art

Style also refers to particular features of art that are found in a group of artists who lived and worked at the same time.

style

verb [ T ]

/stɑɪl/

style verb [T] (DESIGN)

to arrange or design hair, clothes, a room, etc., esp. so that it looks attractive:

Most women style their hair.

(Definition of style from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

style | Business English

style

noun [ C ]

/staɪl/ us

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a way of doing something, especially one that is typical of a person, group of people, place, or period:

management/leadership style An authoritarian management style may not yield good results.

Those familiar with her personal style say she is quietly decisive.

a working/learning style

Examples of style

style

But yeah, ok, most of the time it is about style.

From Huffington Post

I'm thinking of those who travel in grand style.

From ABC News

That style is right at home with us, so we're really excited to add that to our team.

From The Seattle Times

Yoga teachers vary in approach, style, experience and training.

From Huffington Post

Knowing your learning style can help you understand how to become a more effective doodler.

From Fast Company

At your core, however, one style type truly calls to you and that's the best place to begin.

From Huffington Post

Style, unlike fashion, can not be bought nor taught.

From Huffington Post

This acting style is quite different from play-acting today.

From Voice of America

I seem to remember seeing something like this before, but why this style and why now?

From TechCrunch

What's different is that the technology of the 2025 time period opens up new gameplay styles.

From VentureBeat

Only 15% of bosses described their own management style as commanding.

From Fast Company

But she joked that the style also had its limits.

From Chicago Tribune

His diplomatic and friendly style won him lots of friends in the game industry.

From VentureBeat

His tyrannical management style extended to his own home.

From Huffington Post

But the difference is more of style than anything else.

From The Atlantic

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with style

style

These are words often used in combination with style.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

acting style

From these fairly plausible arguments, the authors move on to more outlandish assertions, for example that the role of the larynx affects acting style.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

aggressive style

The overture sets the tone for much of the playing: a very aggressive style with exaggerated dynamics, off-the-string playing and heavily attacked staccatos.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

architectural style

Building 5 shows further modification and enlargement of the monument, including a substantial change in its architectural style.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all collocations with style

What is the pronunciation of style, -style?