unitard
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of unitard
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Explanation
The hardest thing about being a circus acrobat might be wearing a unitard — the skin-tight, stretchy combination of a leotard and tights. Many athletes and performers wear unitards, which sometimes have built-in tight shorts and sometimes extend to the ankles like footless tights. A unitard is intended to fully cover the wearer's body while still allowing for complete flexibility — it's ideal for contortionists and gymnasts. The word itself comes from leotard, which was named for Jules Léotard, an 1880s French trapeze artist. Unitard has the prefix uni, "having one only," because it's a complete one-piece outfit.
Vocabulary lists containing unitard
Power Prefix: uni-
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This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for May 1–May 7, 2021
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: uni-
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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.
The statuesque Ms. Chapa wears a silvery unitard that bares her shoulders and arms to allow for winglike moments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 17, 2025
Supermodel Heidi Klum and comedian Nikki Glaser rip off Boone’s suit — he’s wearing a skin-tight, sequined unitard underneath — and sings “Beautiful Things.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2025
What was the process like of trying to find the right sparkly unitard, for example?
From Salon ● May 16, 2024
The duet that opened the second section for Isabella Boylston, sleek in a yellow unitard, and Thomas Forster ended as she pushed him slowly, resolutely into the wings.
From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2022
I'm in a simple black unitard that covers me from ankle to neck.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
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.
