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habit

outfit

noun ah-BEE Less Common
Home & Lifestyle Clothing

Origin: Latin habitus, 'bearing, dress'

Also means

formal dress coat

Usage Note

Habit (silent final -t) commonly means formal attire or a specific outfit, such as a monk's habit or a tailcoat; it is less generic than vêtement ('clothing item'). The plural les habits simply means 'clothes' in everyday speech. The proverb l'habit ne fait pas le moine ('you can't judge a book by its cover') is widely known.

Examples

"Il a mis son habit de cérémonie."

Natural Translation

He put on his ceremonial outfit.

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