suit

noun \ ˈsüt \

|Updated on: 16 Jun 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

The Globe on Monday filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss the suit.

— mark arsenault, BostonGlobe.com, "Globe to drop lawsuit against former Boston.com editor," 11 June 2018
In addition, the suit charges records were withheld from Dominic Giuffre and his family members.

— cary spivak, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Giuffre brothers engaged in bitter court fight over future of their business empire," 11 June 2018
The suit also claimed that the Farley and Burke families socialized and attended the same country club.

— blane bachelor, Outside Online, "Trek Settles Lawsuit Over Farley Fat-Bike Name," 11 June 2018
If nothing else, the accoutrement proved an ideal addition to Stewart-Jarrett’s natty Thom Browne suit.

— maria ward, Vogue, "Broadway’s Brightest Partied Until Dawn at The Carlyle on Tonys Night," 11 June 2018
Groban: [Laughs] That fat suit was burned in a bonfire surrounded by dancing children.

— dave quinn, PEOPLE.com, "'Excited' Josh Groban & Sara Bareilles Tease 'Incredible Performances' Before Hosting 2018 Tonys," 10 June 2018
But the open slopes on Deer Hill Road still beckon, said lawyer Ryan Patterson, who represented the group in the Lafayette suit.

— rachel swan, San Francisco Chronicle, "Housing at stake in Lafayette homes-vs.-apartments ballot battle," 9 June 2018
The taller man took off his suit jacket, revealing a shallow, v-necked T-shirt underneath.

— ian frisch, Longreads, "Anthony Bourdain and the Missing Piece," 9 June 2018
After Newman died in 2008 at 83, Carolla was approached by the movie star’s former racing partner and offered a whole collection of Newman collectibles: cars, helmets, race suits and more.

— charles fleming, latimes.com, "How Adam Carolla became the Paul Newman car guy," 8 June 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

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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

Some are watery and best suited for smoothies and endless bowls of cereal; some are thick and ready for a cup of cold brew; some taste like nothing; some taste like a grove of almonds carefully milked by hand.

— marian bull, GQ, "The Best Non-Dairy Milks for Every Occasion," 12 June 2018
No matter the form factor, the new Legions that Lenovo is releasing seem to be fascinated with lower-end graphics offerings, making them better suited for low- to mid-tier graphics and gaming.

— stefan etienne, The Verge, "Lenovo refreshed its Legion gaming laptop and desktop lineup," 11 June 2018
All of his horses are well-bred, and particularly suited for longer distances like the Belmont.

— joe sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "Justify goes for Triple Crown, but is he worth the wager?," 6 June 2018
The heavy Army brigade now in Korea might be transformed into a light brigade, better suited for peacekeeping missions.

— michael o’hanlon, WSJ, "Is the U.S.-South Korea Alliance Worth It?," 4 June 2018
And to combat it, teams like the Cavs have to turn to wings and forwards that are positionally better suited for the series but overmatched in every other sense.

— rob mahoney, SI.com, "Process of Elimination: Four Reasons Why the Cavaliers Don't Stand a Chance in the NBA Finals," 31 May 2018
Best suited for families or those coworkers who need to use Acela's free Wi-Fi on the commute, two-person or four-person tables are also available to pre-reserve, at no extra cost.

— meredith carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "You Now Can Reserve Your Seat on the Amtrak Acela," 30 May 2018
There are three feather quills against the blue, which symbolize communication — suiting for a Duchess who uses her voice to advocate for women's rights and other causes.

— suzannah weiss, Teen Vogue, "Meghan Markle Gets Her Own Coat of Arms," 26 May 2018
Typical maps of the time omitted the names of nearly half the places in the war zone, making them poorly suited for following the progress of a war in which tiny villages often made headlines as the site of a crucial battle.

— greg miller, National Geographic, "Explore 100 Years of National Geographic Pull-Out Maps," 15 May 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