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• full dress
  full dress

  noun

  the formal attire customarily worn in the evening, usually consisting of black tailcoats and white bow ties for men, and floor-length dresses for women.
• full-dress
  full-dress

  adjective

  formal and complete in all details.

full dress

¹ American  

noun

1. the formal attire customarily worn in the evening, usually consisting of black tailcoats and white bow ties for men, and floor-length dresses for women.

2. a ceremonial style of dress.

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full-dress ² American  

[fool-dres] / ˈfʊlˌdrɛs /

adjective

1. formal and complete in all details.

   a full-dress uniform.

2. done or presented completely or thoroughly.

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full dress British  

noun

1. 1. a formal or ceremonial style of dress, such as white tie and tails for a man and a full-length evening dress for a woman

   2. ( as modifier )

      full-dress uniform

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Etymology

Origin of full dress¹

First recorded in 1755–65

Origin of full-dress²

First recorded in 1755–65

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

full dress full-dress

Freezing weather meant Nasa had to postpone the first full dress rehearsal as it was too cold to fuel the SLS rocket.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2026

She met her future husband while appearing with him in operas in which she had only seen him in full dress in elderly roles.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 22, 2023

We had three rehearsals, one off-site, one on-site and then a full dress rehearsal in the morning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2023

But to see him in full dress and going full go was impressive.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 11, 2021

Their parents walked downstairs, Lillian skipping lightly, proud of her beauty, aware of it; her husband followed, pulling at his necktie, uncomfortable in the full dress regalia of civilians.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

The second was a dazzling full-dress demo normally provided only to potential corporate customers.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 24, 2026

She is not, in short, a prime candidate for a full-dress biography, yet somehow Carrie Courogen has pulled it off.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2024

When the inaugural class graduates in spring 2026, the Jesuit university wants a full-dress commencement within the prison.

From Washington Post ● May 18, 2022

There’s also a full-dress rundown on homemade nuoc cham dipping sauces and a guide to ingredients.

From New York Times ● Jan. 24, 2022

But Dad hated unprintable words, and the fact that he had stood up for his son didn’t prevent him from holding a full-dress court of inquiry once he got home, and administering the called-for punishment.

From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey