tailor
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
-
tailors,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tailored,
past participle, past
-
tailoring
present participle
-
to make by tailor's work.
-
to fashion or adapt to a particular taste, purpose, need, etc..
to tailor one's actions to those of another.
-
to fit or furnish with clothing.
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Chiefly U.S. Military. to make (a uniform) to order; cut (a ready-made uniform) so as to cause to fit more snugly; taper.
verb (used without object)
-
tailors,
present (3rd person singular)
-
tailored,
past participle, past
-
tailoring
present participle
noun
noun
-
a person who makes, repairs, or alters outer garments, esp menswear
-
a voracious and active marine food fish, Pomatomus saltator, of Australia with scissor-like teeth
verb
-
to cut or style (material, clothes, etc) to satisfy certain requirements
-
(tr) to adapt so as to make suitable for something specific
he tailored his speech to suit a younger audience
-
(intr) to follow the occupation of a tailor
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tailorsimple
-
tailorssimple
-
have tailoredperfect
-
has tailoredperfect
-
am tailoringprogressive
-
are tailoringprogressive
-
is tailoringprogressive
-
have been tailoringperfect progressive
-
has been tailoringperfect progressive
Past
-
tailoredsimple
-
had tailoredperfect
-
was tailoringprogressive
-
were tailoringprogressive
-
had been tailoringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of tailor1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English (noun), from Anglo-French tailour, Old French tailleor, from taill(ier) “to cut” (from Late Latin tāliāre, derivative of Latin tālea “rod, cutting,” literally, “heel-piece”; see tally) + -or -or 2
Origin of tailor2
Alteration by folk etymology of teller
Explanation
A tailor helps make your clothes fit you better. Similarly, when you tailor something to the needs of others, you are adjusting what you do to best suit them rather than taking a general approach. The word tailor comes from the Latin taliare, meaning "to cut." A tailor is someone who cuts and adjusts your clothing to better fit. When you tailor a jacket, you have it taken in to better suit your physique. But tailor isn't used strictly in reference to clothing. For example, a restaurant might tailor an order for a vegetarian by getting rid of the meat in a portion. A teacher might tailor a lesson plan to the demands of her ESL students.
Vocabulary lists containing tailor
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That could make it possible to move prevention and screening earlier and tailor interventions to an individual's biology, shifting cancer care toward stopping disease before it begins.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
It would require firms like Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, to give users the option of turning off algorithms that tailor recommendations to their personal taste.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
We had found the Margiela nightgown while we were shopping in London — we shop all the time, save and pull for events so we can tailor.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
In its announcement, Cloverleaf said its partnership with Nvidia meant that the firm would tailor its design decisions to Nvidia’s architecture.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Something about the tailor needs to know ASAP.
From "The Hate U Give" by Angie Thomas
The dishwasher camera tailors washes for optimal energy efficiency and finally solves the mystery of what goes on inside there during the cycle.
From Slate ● Sep. 14, 2026
Every program tailors its services to its community, guided by parents who have real authority over how federal dollars are spent.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
"Vietnam has no shortage of highly skilled tailors and hand embroiderers, but many of them are overlooked and do not receive the income they deserve," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
As a part of the pathway, Johnson tailors classroom support to help her students who want to further their careers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 8, 2026
I stood with my arms spread wide and let the tailors measure me.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Von der Leyen said the EU would take a gradual approach with tailored protection levels.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
"This brings us closer to identifying risk earlier and developing prevention strategies that are tailored to an individual's biology."
From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026
If you were to enter the boutique for the first time, you might be greeted by a subversively tailored figure, framed by her signature bold-yet-chic eyeliner and a presence that feels both firm and inviting.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
The IPO is tailored to encourage participation by small investors, including people on lower incomes.
From Barron's ● Sep. 7, 2026
Even the pleated skirt and tailored blouse of my school uniform always felt awkward to me.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
More than five decades on from opening his first store, Sir Paul's company has become one of the leading British fashion brands, known for its signature stripes and colourful twists on traditional British tailoring.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2026
Rather than modernizing the home through an extensive renovation, however, the couple chose to preserve its midcentury character while tailoring other elements of the dwelling to their lifestyle.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 13, 2026
"Since those incidents occurred... there were no women in the markets," 26-year-old Ramin Ghafoori, a Herat-based businessman who runs a tailoring shop, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Jul. 12, 2026
The designer drew inspiration for Gregory’s burgundy coat from a Coogler red carpet moment, tailoring a clean, sophisticated silhouette while playing with the scale of Janine’s costume.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Which was why I was standing on the pedestal in the tailoring room of my family’s clothing store, in nothing but my underpants and socks, waiting to get measured.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
