clothing; garments; apparel
Formal or technical term for clothing, often used in official, military, or institutional contexts. Less common in everyday conversation than 衣服 or 服.
Clothing expenses account for a large portion of the household budget.
The military's clothing supply is delayed.
New recruits were issued their clothing.
Please wear the designated clothing while working.
服 is the most common, casual word for clothes, whereas 被服 sounds stiff and bureaucratic and appears mainly in official documents.
衣類 is a neutral, slightly formal collective term for clothing used in retail or laundry contexts, while 被服 carries a more official or institutional tone.
clothing expenses; clothing allowance
Compound of 被 (ひ, 'to cover' or 'to put on') and 服 (ふく, 'clothing'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the kanji combination conventionally conveys the meaning of 'clothing' or 'garments'.