noun

le costume

suit · costume

Vêtement complet porté par un homme, composé d’une veste et d’un pantalon assortis, souvent utilisé pour des occasions formelles ou professionnelles.

The French word "costume" generally refers to a set of clothes, specifically related to formal wear or clothing worn for a specific role or event.

Meaning:

Suit (men's clothing):
- In everyday French, "un costume" usually means a man’s suit, consisting of a jacket and matching trousers, sometimes with a vest.
- Example: Il porte un costume noir. — He is wearing a black suit.
Costume (clothing for a role or performance):
- It can also mean a costume worn for theater, festivals, or fancy dress parties, i.e., an outfit representing a particular character or style.
- Example: Elle a mis un costume d’Indienne pour la fête. — She wore an Indian costume for the party.

Word components:

The word comes from the Italian "costume" meaning custom or outfit, originally from Latin "consuetudo" meaning habit or usual practice.

Synonyms (French):

For men’s suit: habit, ensemble
For costume for performance: déguisement, tenue

Antonyms:

There isn’t a direct antonym since it's a noun describing specific clothing, but contrasting terms could be:
- tenue décontractée (casual wear) vs. "costume" (formal suit)
- vêtements ordinaires (ordinary clothes) vs. special costume (in performance context)

Summary:

"Costume" primarily means a men's suit or formal outfit.
It also refers to clothes worn to represent a character (like a disguise or fancy dress).
Synonyms vary depending on meaning, and antonyms mostly refer to casual or ordinary clothing.