plural tuxedos or tuxedoes
1
: a semiformal evening suit for men
2
: a men's single-breasted or double-breasted usually black or blackish-blue jacket

Examples of tuxedo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Sean said one advantage is that the store keeps tuxedos on-site. — Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 20 Oct. 2026 Naomi Ackie in Balenciaga Not unlike Seehorn’s tuxedo take, the volume was plentiful in Naomi Ackie’s custom Balenciaga gown, a look inspired by the Fall 2026 haute-couture collection. — Laurie Brookins, HollywoodReporter, 18 Oct. 2026 Félicette, a stray tuxedo cat from the streets of Paris, was a substitute for another cat named Felix, who somehow escaped on launch day. — Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 18 Oct. 2026 Borrowing an old tuxedo from a local woman whose husband had died, Baldwin rode onto the field on the back of a Carolina ram at the next home game, and a legend was born. — Katie Riley, Southern Living, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tuxedo

Word History

Etymology

Tuxedo Park, New York

First Known Use

1889, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tuxedo was in 1889

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Cite this Entry

“Tuxedo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tuxedo. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

plural tuxedos or tuxedoes
: a suit for men to be worn on special occasions
Etymology

named for Tuxedo Park, a resort in New York State, where the jacket first became popular

Word Origin
Tuxedo can be traced back to the name of a village in southeastern New York. In the 1880s, an area called Tuxedo Park, near the village of Tuxedo, became a popular vacation community. It was here, around the turn of the century, that young men began wearing a new kind of dress jacket. The new style was soon called tuxedo.

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