In its broadest sense, an appliqué is a smaller ornament or device applied to another surface. In the context of sewing, an appliqué is a separate piece of cloth added to the primary work by stitching. Generally the purpose of an appliqué is for decoration by creating designs, patterns, pictures or lettering.

First developed when clothes ripped and needed fixing, appliqué was used to sew over the top of the patches covering the rip, otherwise known as patch work.

Today appliqué is used extensively ornamentally on a variety of projects like football jerseys, hockey jerseys, basketball jerseys, baseball jerseys, sweatshirts, jackets and other cloth items.