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Lingerie Definition and Common Spelling Mistakes

October 11, 2023

Let’s be honest— lingerie isn’t the easiest word to spell. Why? It’s probably because the word was borrowed from the French language. Here are common misspellings, a lingerie definition, a brief history and a recap of types of lingerie.

Lingerie Misspellings

Commonly misspelled as “lingere,” “lengire,” “ligerie” and “lingerae,” the word “lingerie” derives from the French word linge—"washables"—as in faire le linge, "do the laundry." Ultimately it comes from lin, for “washable linen,” the fabric from which European undergarments were made before the introduction of cotton.

Lingerie Definition

Lingerie, quite simply, is a type of women’s undergarment. The term encompasses brassieres (bras), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. These items tend to be alluring, appealing, and erotic, which makes sense why Anglo-Saxons chose a French word to describe them.

French culture was, and still is, equated with sex, romance, and love. To provide more context to this, we’re going to give you a brief history of lingerie.

Related: 9 BEST LINGERIE BRANDS TO TRY IN 2019

A Brief Lingerie History

In the 1800’s, before the term “lingerie” existed in the English language, women began to flock to undergarments from France. After all, the French did invent the foundation of intimates, the corset.

Corsets were a wardrobe staple for women in the nineteenth century. They were essential in providing the ideal look at the time: a tiny waist and perky breasts. They were extremely constricting but were designed intricately and caused women to put thought into their undergarments.

Related: How to Lace a Corset

At the time, women in the US wore heavier undergarments called “panties” or “bloomers.” These greatly resembled what we now know as pants. What attracted American women to lingerie, far before its sex appeal, washow lightweight and easy to wear these items were. (Can you blame them?!)

Corsets were soon replaced with lingerie.

As designers and manufacturers took note of the change from function to fashion, they began to transition from the corset to an early model of the brassiere (thanks again, France). Bras were made with lightweight materials, and some even had padding for women who preferred a more pronounced bust line.

Although these items were far from the lingerie we picture when we hear the word today, it was a step in the right direction. These new pieces liberated women from the heavier and uncomfortable intimates they knew before.

Fast forward to the 21st century, and the lingerie industry is flooded with pieces for every shape, size, and style. Modern technologies have provided fabrics for every comfort level.

Here are the different types of lingerie that exist today.