textile
gb/tˈɛkstˌaɪl/ us/tˈɛkstˌaɪl/
B2
English
~ 8500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
entity
1
fabric or cloth material
Cloth or fabric that is made in a factory and used to make clothes, bags, and other things.
Usage pattern:
[type] textile for [purpose]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "textile" with "texture". "Textile" is a kind of fabric or cloth, while "texture" is how a surface feels (smooth, rough, etc.). Learners also sometimes say *"a clothes textile"*; in most cases you can simply say "fabric" or "textile" without adding "clothes".
Synonyms
fabric (The most common general word for material used to make clothes and other items; slightly more everyday than "textile".)
|
cloth (Very common and simple; often used for smaller pieces or everyday items rather than as an industrial term.)
|
material (Very general; can mean any substance, not only fabric, so it is less specific than "textile".)
Antonyms
metal (Represents hard, rigid industrial materials, contrasting with the soft, flexible nature of textiles.)
Collocations
textile industry
|textile mill
|natural textiles
|synthetic textiles
|textile waste
|textile manufacturing
Themes
fashion
|industry
|art
|clothing
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The company specializes in high‑performance sports textiles.
- This jacket is made from recycled textiles.
- Museums often struggle to preserve fragile historic textiles.
- The designer chose a lightweight textile for the summer collection.
- Many textiles are now made from a mix of natural and synthetic fibers.
Learner examples
- She bought a soft textile to make a dress.
- The seats are covered with a dark blue textile.
- The shop sells many different textiles for clothing.
- This textile is very thin but very strong.
- They use special textiles for outdoor jackets.
Noun
B2
entity
2
the textile industry or trade
The business and factories that make and sell textiles, such as cloth for clothes and furniture.
Usage pattern:
work in textiles
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes treat "textiles" here as only physical cloth and not as an industry. When someone says they "work in textiles", it usually means they work in the textile industry, not that they work inside pieces of cloth.
Synonyms
textiles industry (A fuller phrase that makes the industrial meaning explicit; slightly more formal but near‑identical in meaning.)
|
garment industry (Focuses on finished clothing rather than on all textiles, so it is a narrower, related term.)
Antonyms
services (Represents non‑manufacturing economic activity, contrasting with the manufacturing focus of the textile industry.)
Collocations
textile industry
|textile sector
|textile exports
|textile factory
|textile company
|textile workers
Themes
industry
|economics
|work
|business
|clothing
Examples
- She has worked in textiles for over twenty years.
- Many towns in the region depended on textiles before the factories closed.
- The country’s economy grew quickly thanks to textiles and electronics.
- New environmental rules are changing how textiles are produced.
- They are trying to move from low‑cost textiles to high‑value technical products.
Learner examples
- Her parents both work in textiles.
- Textiles are a very important industry in this city.
- The company moved its textiles to cheaper factories overseas.
- He studied textiles at university and now designs shirts.
- Many people lost their jobs when the textiles moved to another country.
adjective
B2
property
3
relating to textiles or fabrics
About textiles or the work of making and designing them.
Usage pattern:
[textile] [noun]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "textiles" as an adjective, saying *"textiles factory"* instead of "textile factory". Use "textile" before a noun when you want an adjective meaning (textile industry, textile design, textile engineer).
Synonyms
fabric (Often used as a noun but can modify another noun (e.g. "fabric manufacturer"); a little more everyday and less industrial‑sounding.)
|
cloth (Mainly a noun; in combinations like "cloth factory" it sounds more informal or old‑fashioned than "textile factory".)
Antonyms
non-textile (Used to mark things not made of or related to textiles, for example non‑textile materials like metal or glass.)
Collocations
textile industry
|textile design
|textile mill
|textile factory
|textile engineer
|textile museum
Themes
industry
|fashion
|art
|work
|business
|clothing
Examples
- The city has a long textile tradition dating back to the 19th century.
- She is studying textile design at art school.
- The museum is putting on a new textile exhibition next month.
- They invested in modern textile machinery to increase efficiency.
- Textile workers protested against the planned factory closures.
Learner examples
- He is a textile engineer in a large company.
- She wants to become a textile designer.
- There is a big textile factory near the river.
- We visited a famous textile museum on our trip.
- The town has many small textile workshops.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
4
piece of textile art or artifact
A single piece of special cloth, kept as art or history, for example an old woven wall hanging in a museum.
Usage pattern:
an ancient textile from [place]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that "textiles" can refer to art or museum pieces, not just everyday cloth. In museum and art contexts, "textiles" often means special or historic fabric objects.
Synonyms
tapestry (Refers to a specific kind of thick, often pictorial woven textile; a more specific type than the general word "textile".)
|
fabric piece (A simple descriptive phrase for one piece of fabric; less formal and less connected to art or history than "textile" in this sense.)
Antonyms
artifact (non-textile) (Refers to museum or cultural objects made from other materials, highlighting that this sense of "textile" is specifically fabric‑based.)
Collocations
ancient textiles
|historic textiles
|traditional textiles
|handwoven textiles
|museum textiles
|textile collections
Themes
art
|history
|culture
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- The museum recently acquired several rare Andean textiles.
- Conservators are working to stabilize the fragile medieval textiles.
- Her research focuses on traditional West African textiles.
- The exhibition includes textiles dating back over a thousand years.
- These ceremonial textiles were used only for royal events.
Learner examples
- We saw beautiful old textiles in the museum.
- This book shows many traditional textiles from Asia.
- The artist creates large textiles that hang on the wall.
- The gallery sells handmade textiles as art.
- They keep the ancient textiles in a dark room to protect them.
Grammar
Dictionary form
textile
IPA
GB/tˈɛkstˌaɪl/
US/tˈɛkstˌaɪl/
Syllables & stress
tex - tile (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (tex)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: textile
- Plural: textiles
Word family
Expressions
home textiles
1/hˈoʊm tˈɛkstˌaɪlz/
fixed phrase
fabrics for use in the home
Textiles used in the home, such as curtains, bed sheets, towels, and tablecloths.
Examples
- The store specializes in luxury home textiles like bedding and towels.
- Demand for eco‑friendly home textiles has grown in recent years.
- They launched a new line of patterned home textiles for children’s rooms.
technical textiles
1/tˈɛknɪkəl tˈɛkstˌaɪlz/
fixed phrase
technical
fabrics for technical applications
Special textiles made for a technical use, such as in cars, medicine, construction, or sports equipment, not mainly for normal clothing.
Examples
- The company is shifting from basic fabrics to high‑value technical textiles.
- Technical textiles are used in products like airbags and medical bandages.
- Research in technical textiles focuses on strength, durability, and special functions.
textile artist
1/tˈɛkstˌaɪl ˈɑɹtɪst/
fixed phrase
artist working with textiles
An artist who mainly uses textiles, such as fabric or thread, to make art.
Examples
- She is a textile artist who creates large wall hangings.
- The gallery is showing work by contemporary textile artists.
- As a textile artist, he experiments with natural dyes and hand‑stitching.
textile design
1/tˈɛkstˌaɪl dɪzˈaɪn/
fixed phrase
design of patterns for textiles
The art and work of creating colors, patterns, and structures for textiles.
Examples
- She studied textile design at college.
- Digital tools are changing the field of textile design.
- The book gives an overview of modern Japanese textile design.
textile industry
1/tˈɛkstˌaɪl ˈɪndəstɹi/
fixed phrase
economic sector making textiles
The group of companies and factories that make and sell textiles.
Examples
- The textile industry employs millions of people worldwide.
- Environmental rules are forcing the textile industry to reduce water use.
- Many countries depend on the textile industry for exports.
textile mill
1/tˈɛkstˌaɪl mˈɪl/
fixed phrase
factory that makes textiles
A factory where textiles are made, for example where yarn is spun or cloth is woven.
Examples
- The old textile mill has been turned into modern apartments.
- Many small towns grew up around textile mills in the 19th century.
- Working conditions in textile mills were often very hard.
textile waste
1/tˈɛkstˌaɪl wˈeɪst/
fixed phrase
thrown‑away textile materials
Textiles that people or factories throw away, such as old clothes or leftover fabric.
Examples
- Textile waste has become a major environmental problem.
- The project aims to recycle textile waste into new products.
- Better design can help reduce textile waste from clothing production.
textile worker
1/tˈɛkstˌaɪl wˈɚkɚ/
fixed phrase
person working in textiles
A person who works in a textile factory or in the textile industry.
Examples
- Textile workers protested for higher wages.
- The new law improves safety standards for textile workers.
- Many textile workers lost their jobs when the factory closed.