Furniture, fittings, and other decorative accessories that make a room or building ready for occupancy.
From Old French furniss-, stem of furnir meaning 'to furnish, provide', possibly of Germanic origin. The English word developed in the 14th century, with the specific sense of household items emerging in the 16th century.
Furnishings reveal more about social status and cultural values than almost any other possession - anthropologists can reconstruct entire worldviews from furniture arrangements. The concept of 'interior decorating' as we know it only emerged in the 18th century when the rising middle class gained both disposable income and leisure time to care about aesthetics.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.