Definition

1. Noun:

   • A set of clothes: A matching jacket and trousers (or skirt), typically made of the same fabric and worn together, often for formal or business occasions.
   • A legal action: A case or proceeding brought before a court of law to seek justice or settle a dispute.
   • One of the four categories in a deck of playing cards: Hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades.
   • The act of wooing or courting someone: The process of trying to gain the love or affection of someone, often with the intention of marriage.
   • (Informal) A business executive: A person, typically a man, who wears a formal business suit as part of their professional attire.

2. Verb:

   • To be appropriate or acceptable for: To be right or fitting for a particular person, occasion, or purpose.
   • To be convenient or agreeable to: To meet the needs or wishes of someone; to be a good time or arrangement for them.
   • To enhance the appearance of: To make someone look more attractive or appropriate.

Examples

• Noun:

  • He wore a dark blue suit to the interview.
  • The company filed a suit against its competitor for patent infringement.
  • In many card games, you must follow suit if you can.
  • He won her heart after a long and persistent suit.

• Verb:

  • That color really suits you.
  • Does Friday at 3 PM suit you for a meeting?
  • The casual dress code suits the company's culture perfectly.

Advanced Usage

• "To follow suit": To do the same thing that someone else has just done.

  • When one airline lowered its prices, the others soon followed suit.

• "To suit oneself": To do what one wants to do, without considering others.

  • You can suit yourself, but I think we should leave early.

• "Suit up": To put on a special uniform or suit of clothing (e.g., for sports, a mission, or work).

  • The firefighters suited up before entering the burning building.

Variants and Related Words

• Suitable (adj): Appropriate or fitting for a particular purpose or occasion.
  • This software is suitable for beginners.
• Suitor (n): A man who is courting a woman.
  • She had many suitors but married for love.
• Lawsuit (n): A comprehensive term for a legal action or suit.
  • They settled the lawsuit out of court.

Synonyms

• Noun (clothing): Outfit, ensemble.
• Noun (legal case): Lawsuit, case, litigation.
• Verb (be appropriate): Befit, become.
• Verb (be convenient): Work for, be acceptable to.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Suit up: As defined in Advanced Usage.
• Suit to/for: To make something appropriate or adapt it for a specific purpose or person. (Often used in the passive voice as "suited to/for").
  • The training program is suited for advanced learners.

Related Idioms

• In one's birthday suit: Completely naked.
  • The toddler ran through the house in his birthday suit.
• Strong suit: Something one is particularly good at; a forte.
  • Diplomacy was never his strong suit.

Noun

1. playing card in any of four sets of 13 cards in a pack; each set has its own symbol and color
   • a flush is five cards in the same suit
   • in bridge you must follow suit
   • what suit is trumps?
2. a petition or appeal made to a person of superior status or rank
3. a man's courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage)
   • its was a brief and intense courtship
4. (slang) a businessman dressed in a business suit
   • all the suits care about is the bottom line
5. a comprehensive term for any proceeding in a court of law whereby an individual seeks a legal remedy
   • the family brought suit against the landlord
6. a set of garments (usually including a jacket and trousers or skirt) for outerwear all of the same fabric and color
   • they buried him in his best suit

Verb

1. enhance the appearance of
   • Mourning becomes Electra
   • This behavior doesn't suit you!
2. accord or comport with
   • This kind of behavior does not suit a young woman!
3. be agreeable or acceptable
   • This time suits me
4. be agreeable or acceptable to
   • This suits my needs