Meaning & use
a letterman jacket
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Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
A jacket, usually with sleeves in one color and the body in another, worn by students who have earned a school letter for sport or another activity.
Grammar: Countable: say 'a letterman jacket' for one, and 'letterman jackets' for more than one.
Patterns
- wear a letterman jacket
- a letterman jacket with a letter on the chest
- earn a letterman jacket
He wore his letterman jacket to the game even though it was far too warm.
She earned a letterman jacket after three seasons on the swim team.
The school gives each senior athlete a letterman jacket with their initials stitched on the sleeve.
nouncountableAmericanfigurative
Such a jacket used as a symbol of belonging to a school team or club, often worn to show pride in that group.
Grammar: Usually used with 'his', 'her', 'my' and similar words when it means a personal symbol rather than a piece of clothing.
Patterns
- his letterman jacket
- be proud of your letterman jacket
- the letter on a letterman jacket
For her, the letterman jacket was proof that four years of early practice had been worth it.
He hung his letterman jacket on the wall of his first apartment like a trophy.
Alumni sometimes come back to school wearing the letterman jacket they got decades earlier.
Word forms
| plural | letterman jackets |
|---|
Common combinations
- wear a letterman jacket
- Students are allowed to wear a letterman jacket instead of the usual blazer on Fridays.
- earn a letterman jacket
- You have to compete for at least one full season to earn a letterman jacket.
- a letterman jacket with a letter
- He showed me a letterman jacket with a big red letter on the chest.
- his old letterman jacket
- His old letterman jacket still fits him, twenty years after graduation.
- a varsity letterman jacket
- The shop sells varsity letterman jackets in the school colors.
Synonyms and how they differ
- varsity jacket
- The more common term in British English and in fashion writing; it means the same kind of jacket but does not always suggest that the wearer earned a letter.
- school jacket
- A general, neutral phrase for any jacket connected with a school; it is vaguer and does not mention the award letter.
- team jacket
- Focuses on membership of a sports team rather than on the school award, so it fits a club or professional team too.
Word family
- letterman noun
- A student who has earned a school letter, especially in sport.
- letter noun
- Here, the embroidered symbol of a school, often the first letter of its name.
Commonly confused: a letterman jacket or letter jacket? a letterman jacket or leather jacket?
a letterman jacket vs letter jacket
A shorter, informal way of saying the same thing in American English; it is not a different item.
a letterman jacket vs leather jacket
A jacket made of leather; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with school awards.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'letterman jacket' in the most natural way?
Choose one answer.
A letterman jacket is a piece of clothing connected with school sport, so wearing one before a match fits. The other options describe actions that have no natural link with this kind of jacket.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a letterman jacket”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.