suit

noun \ ˈsüt \

|Updated on: 14 Jul 2018

Examples: suit in a Sentence

1 archaic : suite 1

2 a : recourse or appeal to a feudal superior for justice or redress

b : an action or process in a court for the recovery of a right or claim

3 : an act or instance of suing or seeking by entreaty : appeal; specifically : courtship

4 : a group of things forming a unit : suite —used chiefly of armor, sails, and counters in games

5 : a set of garments: such as

a : an ensemble of two or more usually matching outer garments (such as a jacket, vest, and trousers)

businessmen wearing three-piece suits

b : a costume to be worn for a special purpose or under particular conditions

gym suits

6 a : all the playing cards in a pack bearing the same symbol

b : all the dominoes bearing the same number

c : all the cards or counters in a particular suit held by one player

a 5-card suit

d : the suit led

follow suit

7 slang : a business executive —usually used in plural

—

suited

play \ˈsü-təd\ adjective

See suit defined for English-language learners

See suit defined for kids

Examples of suit in a Sentence

He wore his gray suit to the job interview.
filed a suit against the company that had manufactured the faulty heater, claiming they were responsible for the fire

Recent Examples of suit from the Web

Inter were also said to be keen on negotiating a loan with an option to buy, but this did not suit Bordeaux who were only interested in selling Malcom permanently or not at all.

— SI.com, "Spurs Said to Be Leading the Race to Land Highly Rated Bordeaux Winger This Summer," 10 July 2018
For anyone who has watched international soccer in the past half-century or so, England’s presence in the final four makes for a jarring sight, like the guy in the gorilla suit winning the marathon.

— jonathan clegg, WSJ, "How England Rewired Its Soccer DNA," 10 July 2018
That green plaid suit is from the mid to late ’70s.

— samantha powell, The Cut, "Sorry to Bother You’s Costume Designer on Dressing Tessa Thompson," 10 July 2018
The rest of the settlement money, $1.9 million, will go to attorneys’ fees and the residents who brought the suit.

— Washington Post, "Milwaukee to pay $3.4 mln over police stop-and-frisk policy," 10 July 2018
Our blindness to privacy's moral dimension suits Facebook and other social networks.

— nicholas carr, chicagotribune.com, "Is Facebook the problem with Facebook, or is it us?," 10 July 2018
The rest of the settlement money, $1.9 million, will go to attorneys’ fees and the residents who brought the suit.

— ivan moreno, The Seattle Times, "Milwaukee to pay $3.4 mln over police stop-and-frisk policy," 10 July 2018
But legal filings in the class-action suit hint at the technology’s importance to Facebook’s business.

— New York Times, "Facebook’s Push for Facial Recognition Prompts Privacy Alarms," 9 July 2018
Mbappé threat While Giroud has yet to score at this World Cup, his ability to hold the ball up suits France's system and allows Mbappé to make runs down the right flank.

— jerome pugmire, baltimoresun.com, "France vs. Belgium: What you need to know for Tuesday's World Cup semifinal," 9 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suit.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of suit

Middle English sute, seute pursuit, retinue, set, legal action, from Anglo-French siute, suite, from Vulgar Latin *sequita, from feminine of *sequitus, past participle of *sequere to follow — more at sue

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

suit Synonyms

Synonyms

appeal, cry, desire, entreaty, petition, plea, pleading, prayer, solicitation, supplication;

Related Words

application, requisition;

call, claim, demand, insistence;

suit

verb

suited; suiting; suits

transitive verb

1 a : to be becoming to

that dress suits you

b : to be proper for : befit

a mood that suits the occasion

2 : to outfit with clothes : dress

3 : accommodate, adapt

suit the action to the word

4 : to meet the needs or desires of : please

suits me fine

intransitive verb

1 : to be in accordance : agree

the position suits with your abilities

2 : to be appropriate or satisfactory

these prices don't suit

3 : to put on specially required clothing (such as a uniform or protective garb) —usually used with up

players suiting up for the game

See suit defined for English-language learners

Examples of suit in a Sentence

This kind of behavior hardly suits a person of your age.
She gave a serious speech that suited the occasion.
The formal furniture really suited the style of the house.
The job suits her very well.

Recent Examples of suit from the Web

It's been a full year and a half since reliever Tyler Thornburg, then with the Milwaukee Brewers, suited up for a big-league baseball game.

— jr radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "After a year and a half out of Major League Baseball, Tyler Thornburg officially activated by Red Sox," 5 July 2018
Best suited for basic cable exposure, the film, receiving a limited theatrical release, is most notable for being the first to be screened on a blockchain platform and available for purchase with cryptocurrency.

— frank scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'No Postage Necessary': Film Review," 4 July 2018
The new hues, including nine designed by Aina, feature a variety of undertones suited for nearly everyone.

— refinery29.com, "Jackie Aina Won't Hide The Beauty Industry's Ugly Side — Even If It Costs Her," 3 July 2018
Alvarez clearly is being goaded by the Golovkin team into a toe-to-toe battle better suited for the harder-hitting, 36-year-old champion.

— lance pugmire, latimes.com, "Canelo Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin's cold war is real," 3 July 2018
Trevor Booker Unrestricted / Power Forward / 6-8 / Team: Indiana Pacers 6.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg After suiting up for three different teams in 2017-18, Trevor Booker may yearn for long-term security with his next contract.

— azcentral, "Ranking top power forwards in NBA free agency: Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Derrick Favors lead list," 28 June 2018
Madden, who went 9-2 with a 1.32 ERA, also suited up for the THSBCA 5A/6A All-Star game at Dell Diamond and was named a Collegiate Baseball second-team All-American, along with Cowser.

— jason mcdaniel, Houston Chronicle, "High school notebook: Cypress Ranch places 3 players on THSBCA all-state team," 27 June 2018
Nevertheless, Serie A may prove better suited for Wilshere's cultured style than the Premier League.

— SI.com, "West Ham 'Refuse to Offer Long Term Contract' to Prime Transfer Target Following Arsenal Departure," 25 June 2018
Workshops suited for ages 8-12 are offered on fishing, shooting sports, conservation, camping, water sports and emergency preparedness.

— jennifer jhon, South Florida Parenting, "Family fun: Summer workshops, military day, boat show best bets for weekend," 20 June 2018

First Known Use of suit

14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

suit Synonyms

SUIT Defined for English Language Learners

suit

noun

: a set of clothes that usually consists of a jacket and a skirt or pair of pants that are made out of the same material
: a set of clothes or protective covering that is worn for a special purpose or under particular conditions
: a process by which a court of law makes a decision to settle a disagreement or problem between people or organizations

suit

verb

: to provide what is required or wanted by or for (someone or something)
: to be proper or suitable for (someone or something)
: to be attractive on (someone)

SUIT Defined for Kids

suit

noun \ ˈsüt \

1 : a set of clothing having matching top and bottom pieces

2 : a set of clothes or protective coverings worn for a special purpose or under particular conditions

a gym suit

a suit of armor

3 : an action in court to settle a disagreement or enforce a right or claim

4 : all the playing cards of one kind (as spades, hearts, diamonds, or clubs) in a pack

suit

verb

suited; suiting

1 : to be suitable or satisfactory

The time of the meeting suits my schedule.

2 : to make suitable : adapt

You should suit your speech for your audience.

3 : to be proper for or pleasing with

That scarf does not suit the dress.

4 : to meet the needs or desires of

… it was fully settled that James should go … as it suited his master …
—Anna Sewell, Black Beauty

Medical Dictionary

suit

— see g suit, pressure suit

Law Dictionary

suit

noun

: a proceeding to enforce a right or claim; specifically : an action brought in a court seeking a remedy for injuries suffered or a determination of rights : lawsuit

Origin and Etymology of suit

Anglo-French siute suite suit request to initiate legal proceedings, literally, pursuit, from siute, feminine past participle of suire to follow, from Old French sivre — see sue