long tail

British

noun

commerce the segment of a market representing the large number of products that sell in small quantities, considered by some to be of greater financial value than the few products that sell in very large quantities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of long tail

C21: from the appearance of typical sales patterns on a graph

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.

“Companies that have owned the long tail legacy entertainment channels have been the ones that have been the most challenged.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 16, 2026

Colbert was given a pink slip with a long tail this year.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

In batting at number eight, Cummins will also boost an Australia batting order that included a long tail in Perth.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2025

On Tuesday, however, Novo Nordisk’s stock also appeared to be benefiting from the long tail of excitement around the pricing deal in the U.S., in addition to a new pricing agreement in India.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

The cat flicked her long tail, paused to get a scratch behind the ears, then waded back into the mist.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023