ENGLISH
REFERENCE

suit

n. countable
A2 Elementary Oxford US //ˈsut// UK //sˈuːt// suit Archaic General-service Slang Vulgar

n. a set of clothes made from the same fabric, usually including a jacket and trousers or a skirt. You wear this for formal events like weddings or business meetings.

n. a set of outer garments made from the same cloth, typically consisting of a jacket and trousers or a skirt. Often used metonymically in informal registers to refer to a business executive or corporate official.


SIMPLE

He wears a dark suit to every job interview.

CONTEXTUAL

The lawyer arrived at the courthouse wearing a sharp grey suit and carrying a leather briefcase.

COMPLEX

While the office dress code has become increasingly casual over the last decade, most partners still prefer to wear a tailored suit when meeting with high-profile clients.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English sute, borrowed from Anglo-Norman suite and Old French sieute, siute (modern suite), originally a participle adjective from Vulgar Latin *sequita (for secūta), from Latin sequi (“to follow”), because the component garments "follow each other", i.e. are worn together. See also the doublet suite. Cognate with Italian seguire and Spanish seguir. Related to sue and segue.

Usage

Commonly used with the verb 'wear' or 'fit'. In card games, it refers to one of the four sets (hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades).

Idioms11 entries

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