Present participle of 'don'; putting on or dressing in clothing, especially formal or special attire.
From Old English 'don,' following regular English gerund formation with '-ing' suffix. This maintains the formal, deliberate quality of the base verb.
Military and ceremonial contexts preserve 'donning' as the official word—'donning the uniform' sounds more formal and serious than 'putting on the uniform,' reflecting how language choices signal gravitas and formal commitment.
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