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.
-
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
-
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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Sewing Away
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I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944
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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:
The number of applications submitted per job seeker on LinkedIn has risen about 30% since the pandemic, Shapero said, with many people using AI to write, tailor and blast them off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
In publications in Nature Reviews Rheumatology and The Lancet Rheumatology, the team also introduced a model designed to help doctors identify the underlying causes of symptoms earlier and tailor treatment more effectively.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 27, 2026
That has meant that tailor Ebrima Camara, 31, has had to sew using a foot-pedal machine rather than his usual electric model, as he struggles to complete orders for school uniforms for the new year.
From Barron's ● Sep. 17, 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
She was a quiet woman who worked for a tailor.
From "Kira-Kira" by Cynthia Kadohata
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
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
The supply chain goes beyond retailers like Sekky and includes importers, wholesalers, tailors who mend damaged mitumba and those who sell food and drink at the markets.
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
U.S. tailors numbered about 18,500 in 2024, a nearly 30% drop from a decade ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
This kaftan was sewn by the best tailors in Lkossa, made with the highest quality cotton, but...it felt wrong.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
As cancers typically associated with adults continue to appear at younger ages, they also stress the importance of coordinating care between pediatric and adult medical teams and developing treatment plans tailored to these patients.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
The teacher says the lessons will be tailored to "different ages and stages" with younger pupils needing to be focused on foundational knowledge and critical thinking skills before moving on to practical uses of AI.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
That makes reconstructing the detector and designing carefully tailored adversarial changes that can evade it considerably more difficult.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
There was pyro, there were video screens, there was a succession of gorgeously tailored floral-pattern suits.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
She lifted a pair of softly tailored slacks out of the suitcase.
From "The Haunting of Hill House" by Shirley Jackson
In her statement, Somerville said tackling poverty was at the heart of the Scottish government's plans for public service reform including tailoring services for individual needs in an approach known as "whole-family support".
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
The focus on big SUVs is part of a broader strategic shift by European carmakers toward tailoring vehicles to specific regions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 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
While the first two seasons often presented Lestat through structured tailoring and muted palettes, Season 3 arrives in a much louder world.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 20, 2026
We’d spent all our time together in the tailoring room or at Babci’s.
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.
