Meaning & use
outfit
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Meanings
nouncountable
A set of clothes that you wear together, especially for a certain event or purpose.
Grammar: Often with an adjective: a new outfit, a party outfit.
Patterns
- an outfit for something
- a matching outfit
She bought a new outfit for the wedding.
He wore a matching outfit of jacket and trousers.
The children's costumes were funny outfits made from old sheets.
nouncountableinformal
A group or business that works as a team, especially a small or informal one.
Grammar: Informal when talking about companies: a small software outfit.
Patterns
- a small outfit
He works for a small design outfit downtown.
The military outfit trained in the mountains.
They are a young outfit, but already well known.
verbtransitive
To supply someone or something with the equipment or clothing needed for a particular job or journey.
Grammar: Takes an object, often with with: outfit the team with new boots.
Patterns
- outfit someone with something
- outfit something for something
The expedition was outfitted with tents and radios.
The shop will outfit your whole family for the trip.
The ship was outfitted for a long voyage.
Word forms
| plural | outfits |
|---|---|
| third person singular | outfits |
| past tense | outfitted |
| past participle | outfitted |
| -ing form | outfitting |
Common combinations
- new outfit
- She wore a new outfit to the interview.
- matching outfit
- The twins wore matching outfits.
- party outfit
- I still need a party outfit for Saturday.
- outfit with
- The lab was outfitted with the latest microscopes.
- small outfit
- It's a small outfit, only ten people.
- complete outfit
- The store sells a complete outfit for hiking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ensemble
- Ensemble is more formal and suggests clothes carefully chosen to go together.
- costume
- A costume is clothing for a role or special occasion, while an outfit is any set of clothes you wear.
- company
- Company is neutral for a business, but outfit is more casual and can sound slightly offhand.
- equip
- Equip is the neutral verb for providing the tools needed, while outfit adds the idea of clothing or fittings.
Word family
- outfitter noun
- a business that sells equipment for outdoor activities
- outfitted adjective
- supplied with the necessary equipment
- outfitting noun
- the act of providing equipment
Commonly confused: outfit or costume?
outfit vs costume
A costume is made to make you look like a character, while an outfit is simply what you choose to wear.
Practice
The company will ______ every new hire with a laptop and a phone.
Choose one answer.
To outfit someone is to supply them with what they need. The other words do not take this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “outfit”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.