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Many fabrics have been named for the places where they were once made. Denim gets its name from Nîmes, a city in France famous for its textiles. But the name came about in an unusual way. The fabric, a heavy serge, was originally called serge de Nîmes, literally, “serge from Nîmes.” The “s” on Nîmes is not pronounced in French, so when the name of the fabric came into English, it was often written serge de Nim and later serge denim. In time, this was shortened to simply denim.
Examples of denim in a Sentence
Sj Staff, Footwear News, 5 Apr. 2026
In a moment saturated with the idea of the capsule wardrobe, a classic and understated pair of denim gives you the freedom to showcase your personal style.
—Alex Sales, Glamour, 5 Apr. 2026
Sandstone is perhaps my favorite neutral shade, and nothing could be chicer than an all-white look with a straight pair of denim.
—Lane Nieset, Travel + Leisure, 4 Apr. 2026
Experts agree that denim is a basic worth investing in.
—Amber Rambharose, InStyle, 3 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for denim
Cite this Entry
“Denim.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/denim. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
denim
noun
from French (serge) de Nîmes "serge (fabric) from Nîmes (city in France)"
