sweater

American  

[swet-er] / ˈswɛt ər /

noun

1. a knitted jacket or jersey, in pullover or cardigan style, with or without sleeves.

2. a person or thing that sweats.

3. an employer who underpays and overworks employees.

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adjective

1. of, for, or pertaining to a sweater.

   sweater yarn; sweater fashions.

2. made like a sweater.

   a sweater dress.

sweater British  

/ ˈswɛtə /

noun

1. 1. a garment made of knitted or crocheted material covering the upper part of the body, esp a heavy one worn for warmth

   2. ( as modifier )

      a sweater dress

2. a person or thing that sweats

3. an employer who overworks and underpays his employees

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Etymology

Origin of sweater

1520–30 sweater for def. 2; 1880–85 sweater for def. 1; sweat + -er ¹

Example Sentences

I had plenty to put under the tree for each kid, but all I had for my husband was an out-of-season sweater and a new bathmat.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

By 2024, he was working at a sweater factory, sending money home, and returning from his dorm with chocolates for his infant daughter, spending evenings watching cartoons on TV.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026

Wearing a thick navy jacket over a wool sweater, Ivannikov, the head of the department of tropical and subtropical plants, picked up a leaf that had just come rustling down.

From Barron's • Feb. 12, 2026

In a fuchsia sweater, flowy cheetah-print skirt, and cobalt-colored glasses that accentuate her blue eyes, Andrews projects a surprising equanimity considering all she’s endured in the last five years.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2026

I’m working on the same style of sweater that I was making when we left.

From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy