What does swimsuit mean?
A swimsuit is clothing designed to be worn while swimming, especially at a beach, pool, or other aquatic setting. The term may refer to a one-piece garment or a two-piece outfit consisting of a top and briefs or equivalent bottoms. It is standard in both British and American English, although British speakers also commonly use bathing costume, while swimwear can describe the wider category of clothing associated with swimming and beach activities. The word combines the activity, swim, with the clothing term suit, but the compound has become a conventional name for a particular type of garment. Most commonly, people talk about wearing, buying, changing into, or packing a swimsuit, and distinguish between one-piece and two-piece designs.
nounA one-piece or two-piece garment worn for swimming, typically consisting of a top and briefs or equivalent bottoms.
- A garment worn for swimming, usually consisting of a top and briefs or other close-fitting bottoms.
"She bought a new swimsuit before the summer holiday."
"The lifeguard wore a red swimsuit with a whistle around her neck."
"He packed a swimsuit, sunscreen, and a towel for the day at the beach."
The plural is formed by adding -s.
"The shop sells swimsuits, towels, and snorkelling equipment."
From swim and suit, a swimsuit is simply clothing designed to make the business of swimming much easier.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does swimsuit come from?
Swimsuit is a compound formed from swim and suit, both of which are of Germanic origin. The combination developed in the modern English period as a name for clothing worn for swimming. Its structure reflects the ordinary English practice of joining a noun identifying an activity with one identifying an item of clothing.
How swimsuit is actually used
Swimsuit is widely used in British and American English. In British English, bathing costume is also common; swimwear refers more broadly to clothing worn for swimming or beach activities. The term can describe either a one-piece or two-piece garment.
Easily confused with swimsuit
A bathing costume is the usual British term for a garment worn for swimming, while swimsuit is common in both British and American English.
Swimwear is the general category of clothing used for swimming or beach activities, whereas a swimsuit is one specific garment within that category.