Meaning
To do the same thing that someone else has just done; to copy another's example or course of action. It usually follows a statement of what the first party did ('one bank cut fees and its rivals followed suit'). The singular 'suit' stays fixed even when the subject is plural. Neutral register; a staple of journalism and business reporting for imitative moves. Regional use: General English.
Origin
From card games: in trick-taking games such as whist, a player who does not trump is said to 'follow suit' by playing a card of the same suit as the card that was led. The Online Etymology Dictionary dates the card sense of 'suit' itself to the 1520s (ultimately from the notion of livery, matching dress) and records 'follow suit' from the 1670s, listing both the literal card-play sense, 'play a card of the same suit first played', and the figurative one, 'continue the conduct of a predecessor', under that date. Some later references date the figurative use to the mid-nineteenth century, when the phrase became common in political and commercial journalism, so whether 1670s covers the transferred sense or only card play depends on the source consulted. The card-room origin itself is not disputed, and Merriam-Webster's entry gives both senses side by side.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- follow in suit
Usage Examples
- When the first airline scrapped change fees, its rivals quickly followed suit.
- Several councils have declared climate emergencies, and more are expected to follow suit.
- If the regulator caps late fees, the banks will almost certainly follow suit.