suitcase
Americannoun
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:
Roberto Velasco, 84, brought a small suitcase and a hard disc containing copies of old family letters and keepsakes from his family in Chile over the 50 years he has spent in Spain.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
Anyone, whether or not they worked at the airport or had a plane to catch, could walk in and leave an item as big as a suitcase.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
Unpacking my third suitcase in our new West Hollywood home, a sharp pain shot through my chest.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2026
She recalls traveling on a tight budget and staying in a tiny Holiday Inn Express room in Hong Kong—where one creditor was based—that was so cramped she struggled to open her suitcase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
Burger carried the suitcase, but it belonged to Dasch, who was in charge of handling the money.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
"We literally threw everything into our suitcases and within 15 minutes were in the hire car."
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
While Zee said you are usually allowed to fly with suitcases weighing up to 23kg, limiting the weight to 20kg helped to keep customs officers off the scent.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 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
Ba dropped his suitcases and they thudded against the floorboards.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
