leotard

noun

le·​o·​tard ˈlē-ə-ˌtärd How to pronounce leotard (audio)
: a close-fitting one-piece garment worn especially by dancers, acrobats, and aerialists
also : tights
—often used in plural
leotarded
ˈlē-ə-ˌtär-dəd How to pronounce leotard (audio)
adjective

Examples of leotard in a Sentence

Our aerobics instructor wore a bright red leotard.
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.
The man of the hour wore lungs, kidneys, and a heart from an old anatomical chart sewn onto his black leotard. — Serena Turner, Vanity Fair, 30 Mar. 2026 The singer stepped out onto the carpet in a custom Marc Jacobs block-and-tackle suit-cum-leotard. — Alexandra Hildreth, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2026 This versatile leotard is designed to be worn either on its own as a top or under garments such as dresses and T-shirts. — Jessie Quinn, StyleCaster, 9 Mar. 2026 Eight national titles shine bright in Oklahoma’s new state-of-the-art facility, but the leotard needs to fit. — Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for leotard

Word History

Etymology

Jules Léotard, †1870 French aerial gymnast

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of leotard was in 1886

Rhymes for leotard

See All Rhymes for leotard

Browse Nearby Words

leopoldite
leotard
LEP
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Leotard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leotard. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

leotard

noun
le·​o·​tard ˈlē-ə-ˌtärd How to pronounce leotard (audio)
: a tight one-piece garment worn especially by dancers, gymnasts, and acrobats

More from Merriam-Webster on leotard

Nglish: Translation of leotard for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All