bespoke

[bih-spohk]

adjective

1. 1. (of clothes) made to individual order; custom-made.

      a bespoke jacket.

   2. making or selling such clothes.

      a bespoke tailor.

2. Older Use.,  engaged to be married; spoken for.

verb

1. a simple past tense and past participle of bespeak.

bespoke

/ bɪˈspəʊk /

adjective

1. (esp of clothing or a website, computer program, etc) made to the customer's specifications

2. making or selling such clothing, websites, etc

   a bespoke tailor

   a bespoke web designer

Word History and Origins

Origin of bespoke¹

First recorded in 1745–55 bespoke for def. 1

Example Sentences

Under the act, companies like Google will have to follow a bespoke set of rules that apply to their popular platforms.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

“Navigating high-school admissions can feel as overwhelming as college admissions,” said Whitney Shashou, founder and CEO of Admit NY, which creates bespoke plans for clients and offers tutoring for high-school entrance exams.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A bespoke albino alligator emoji is one of the most popular reactions on the company Slack channel, usually an indicator of positive vibes.

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What’s emerging is a new class of synthetic social media platforms that enable users to create, share and discover AI-generated content in a bespoke feed, catering to an individual’s tastes.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Many were bespoke creations — tailored to one’s own family.

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When To Use

What does bespoke mean?

Bespoke means custom-made—made based on the specifications of the person ordering it, as in a bespoke suit. It can also be used to describe a person or company that makes such things, as in bespoke tailor.Bespoke is an adjective, but it’s also the past tense of the verb bespeak, which commonly means to ask for in advance (as in I need to bespeak your help) or to reserve beforehand (as in You need to bespeak a table, sir). But bespeak is rarely used as a verb anymore—it sounds very outdated.Bespoke also sounds a bit old-fashioned, but that’s probably why it became so trendy—it’s often used to imply a handcrafted, unique approach to making something. In its strictest sense, bespoke means made-to-order, but it’s often applied to things that aren’t actually made specifically for someone but that are simply made individually, as opposed to being mass-produced.Example: I found this website yesterday that does bespoke sweatshirts that can be custom-made to my preferences and body type!