Ornamentation is decoration added to something to make it more beautiful or interesting. When a baker adds delicate frosting flowers to a wedding cake, that's ornamentation. When an architect designs columns with carved leaves and scrollwork for a building's entrance, those decorative elements are ornamentation.

Ornamentation can appear almost anywhere: a fancy border around a certificate, jewels set into a crown, or intricate patterns carved into furniture. Musicians use ornamentation too, adding trills, runs, and grace notes to make melodies more expressive and elaborate.

What separates ornamentation from the basic structure is that it's added for beauty rather than necessity. A plain wooden chair functions perfectly well, but a craftsperson might add ornamentation like carved designs or inlaid patterns to make it special. Gothic cathedrals are famous for their elaborate ornamentation: gargoyles, stained glass windows, and stone carvings that transform functional buildings into works of art.

Sometimes ornamentation can become excessive. When something has too much decoration piled on, people might say it's over-ornamented or that someone “gilded the lily,” meaning they added unnecessary decoration to something already beautiful. The best ornamentation enhances without overwhelming, like the perfect amount of seasoning in a dish.