full-dress

1 of 2

adjective

: involving attention to every detail in preparation or execution
a full-dress rehearsal
a full-dress investigation

full dress

2 of 2

noun

: the style of dress prescribed for ceremonial or formal social occasions

Examples of full-dress in a Sentence

Noun The Army required full dress be worn to the event. The officers were in full dress.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
On Friday, as visitation ended at 3 p.m., the church parking lot was filled with hundreds of officers, all in their respective departments' full-dress uniforms, standing in ranks facing the entryway, where a hearse was parked. Bill Laytner, Detroit Free Press, 28 June 2024 That suggests something less than a full-dress criminal trial may suffice; but clearly some process has to exist to decide whether any particular individual is covered. David Lauter, Los Angeles Times, 25 Dec. 2023
Noun
This year at the St. Patrick’s Day parades, applaud them when marching by in full dress uniforms. Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 17 Mar. 2024 Their joint photo was accompanied by one individual snap each of King Frederik, 55, and Queen Mary, 52, in their gala finery — the King in the Navy’s full dress uniform and the Queen in a deep green gown with lace sleeves and a high neck. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 25 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for full-dress 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'full-dress.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1761, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1748, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of full-dress was in 1748

Dictionary Entries Near full-dress

full cry

full-dress

full dress

Cite this Entry

“Full-dress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/full-dress. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

full dress

noun
: the style of dress required on certain special occasions
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!