dress suit

American  

[dres soot] / ˈdrɛs ˌsut /

noun

1. a formal or semiformal ensemble, typically for a man, with matching jacket and trousers, usually worn with a dress shirt and necktie, sometimes including a vest.

2. a woman’s ensemble for semiformal or professional wear, comprising a jacket or blazer paired with a matching dress or skirt.

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dress suit British  

noun

1. an ensemble of matching formal evening wear

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Etymology

Origin of dress suit

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

It also may have been his own ironic interpretation of the unwritten Cannes rule that men should be "en smoking" -- the French term for a black-tie dress suit.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

So the next day I put on my battle uniform: a red dress suit that my mom had bought me.

From New York Times • Dec. 7, 2019

It is customary that during parliamentary proceedings, men wear a jacket and tie, and women a dress suit.

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2019

For a honeymoon photo in Scotland in 1981, Charles wore his kilt while Diana chose a brown tweed woolen dress suit by designer Bill Pashley, a nod to the royal family’s traditional country wear.

From Washington Times • Aug. 29, 2017

She looks straight into the camera and smiles, hands on hips, dress suit neatly pressed, lips painted deep red.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot