suitcase
Americannoun
-
suitcases
plural
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of suitcase
Compare meaning
How does suitcase compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A suitcase is a piece of luggage that usually has a handle. If you're going on a week-long vacation, you should probably pack a suitcase to bring with you. Don't forget your toothbrush! If your suitcase is large enough, you'll have to check it when you fly on an airplane — you can carry only small suitcases into the cabin of the plane. These days most suitcases have wheels so you can roll them along behind you as you walk through a bus station or down the sidewalk. The earliest suitcases were sewn from wool, linen, or leather, often covering a wooden frame. Today, most suitcases are made of nylon or lightweight metal.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
It seems unlikely that the coiffed and polished Harp would freely choose to forgo a real suitcase in order to carry an oversized sack like a disorganized college kid.
From Salon ● Sep. 16, 2026
He’s a lovely man, and he’s always got a suitcase in the hall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
While that post-vacation glow typically fades once your suitcase is unpacked, the resilience sticks around.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
A single suitcase lay open on the floor when AFP visited Ren's temporary residence in Beihai.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
Mama was carrying her suitcase in one hand and Daisy’s old crutch in the other.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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Tourists hauled their suitcases over the doorstep into the fray, fresh off a flight or rushing to make one, if only they could get one last chicken finger first.
From Slate ● Aug. 24, 2026
"We literally threw everything into our suitcases and within 15 minutes were in the hire car."
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
The royals packed their suitcases, bade farewell to the palace staff, and climbed into an armored Mercedes that drove them to a nearby rail station.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 2026
Lugging suitcases across the border after packing up in Pakistan, Afghans are returning home with their worldly possessions but often lack one key item to restart their lives: an identity card.
From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026
Briefly I was cheered—my God, how silly I had been—but then I remembered the way Henry’s apartment had looked, the suitcases by the door.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.