sartorial
Americanadjective
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of or relating to tailors or their trade.
sartorial workmanship.
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of or relating to clothing or style or manner of dress.
sartorial splendor.
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Anatomy. pertaining to the sartorius.
adjective
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of or relating to a tailor or to tailoring
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anatomy of or relating to the sartorius
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of sartorial
First recorded in 1815–25; from Late Latin sartor “tailor” + -ial
Explanation
If it's the day before a big event and you have no idea what to wear and nothing in your closet is going to cut it, you are facing a sartorial dilemma — one that pertains to clothing, fashion, or dressing. Sartorial comes from the Modern Latin word sartor which means "tailor," literally "one who patches and mends." In English the adjectives sartorial and sartorially are used to refer to any matter pertaining to the consideration of clothing or fashion. The root word sartor has also made its way into the field of biology. The sartorius — a muscle in the leg and the longest muscle in the human body — gets its name because it is used when crossing the legs, also known as the “tailor's position."
Vocabulary lists containing sartorial
On Trend: Fashionable Words
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To All the Boys I've Loved Before
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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.
The MacArthur “genius grant” winner sparkled with sartorial edge as he strutted across the stage in a white tuxedo shirt to discuss his book “Emperor of Gladness.”
From Los Angeles Times • May 18, 2026
Target’s collection, on the other hand, is one of the most ghastly sartorial abominations ever made, let alone sold for real money.
From Salon • Apr. 20, 2026
Abiding by the sartorial pecking order has become more complicated as the financial industry’s dress code has gotten even more casual since the pandemic.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026
The US Traitors host and actor was clearly delighted to show his sartorial style on the red carpet.
From BBC • Feb. 22, 2026
I thought women were gorgeous no matter what they wore, and I didn’t think they owed anyone an explanation for their sartorial choices.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
