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• off-the-rack
  off-the-rack

  adjective

  (of clothing) not made to specific or individual requirements; ready-made.
• off the rack
  off the rack

  Ready-made, as in She has all her clothes made; she never buys a dress off the rack. The rack here is a frame from which clothes are hung. [Mid-1900s] A British synonym is off the peg, similarly alluding to a knob from which clothes are hung and dating from the late 1800s. Also see off the shelf.

off-the-rack

American  

[awf-thuh-rak, of-] / ˈɔf ðəˈræk, ˈɒf- /

adjective

1. (of clothing) not made to specific or individual requirements; ready-made.

   off-the-rack men's suits.

2. Slang. off-the-wall.

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off the rack Idioms  

1. Ready-made, as in She has all her clothes made; she never buys a dress off the rack. The rack here is a frame from which clothes are hung. [Mid-1900s] A British synonym is off the peg, similarly alluding to a knob from which clothes are hung and dating from the late 1800s. Also see off the shelf.

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Etymology

Origin of off-the-rack

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

At the start of the 1970s, before the dollar’s link to gold was severed, an ounce might have gotten you an off-the-rack seersucker at J.C.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

It’s the shift from battleships to PT boats, from handmade suits to off-the-rack ones.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 30, 2025

It prevents you from doing anything too foolish, while still freeing you of the compromise of the off-the-rack suit.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2024

When we accessorize, Herd said, we’re putting a “personal spin” on an off-the-rack purchase.

From Slate • Jul. 29, 2024

My pearls, my belts, my cardigans, my off-the-rack dresses from J.Crew, my apparently brave choice of white for an inaugural gown—all seemed to trigger a slew of opinions and instant feedback.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama