ornateness.

The quality of elaborate or intricate decoration.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• ornateness of a design
• stylistic ornateness

On the page

The ornateness of the design contrasted with the plain surrounding walls.

Stylistic ornateness made the passage slower to read but also gave it a distinctive rhythm.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Usually uncountable. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: clarity and ornament, narrative perspective, style analysis. Disciplines: literary writing, narrative analysis, advanced English. Commonness: moderately common.