costumé

Costumé is a French adjective meaning “in costume” or “dressed in fancy dress.” It describes a person or clothing that forms part of a disguise or performance wardrobe, as opposed to everyday attire. The masculine singular form is costumé; feminine singular is costumée; the plural forms are costumés (masc) and costumées (fem). In French, the noun for a complete set of clothes for a character is typically un costume, while the person who designs or makes costumes is le costumi­er (male) or la costumière (female). The phrase un personnage costumé means a character wearing a costume.

In theatre, film, and television, costuming is a distinct craft involving historical or stylistic research, fabric selection, and garment construction. The costume designer or costumière is responsible for the appearance of characters, and costumé can describe the state of a performer wearing such attire. In everyday usage, costumé commonly appears in contexts such as festivals, masquerade balls, or Halloween, and is often contrasted with déguisement, which emphasizes disguise.

In English-language writing, costumé with an acute accent is rare; the standard term is costumed. The French terminology for related practices includes costumière for the designer or maker of costumes, and costume (un costume) for the garments themselves.