tailor-made

[ adjective tey-ler-meyd; noun tey-ler-meyd, -meyd ]

adjective

1. tailored.
2. custom-made; made-to-order; made-to-measure:

   an expensive tailor-made suit.

3. fashioned to a particular taste, purpose, demand, etc.:

   a musical comedy tailor-made for the popular audience.

noun

1. something, as a garment, that is tailor-made.

tailor-made

adjective

1. made by a tailor to fit exactly

   a tailor-made suit

2. perfectly meeting a particular purpose

   a girl tailor-made for him

noun

1. a tailor-made garment
2. slang.
   a cigarette made in a factory rather than rolled by hand

Word History and Origins

Origin of tailor-made¹

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

Obviously, the RGA chairmanship was tailor made for Governor Christie when he assumed the position on November 21, 2013.

From The Daily Beast

The power ballad “Unconditionally” is tailor-made to soundtrack a Nicholas Sparks movie.

From The Daily Beast

As Dooley sees it, green energy is an issue tailor made for Tea Party types.

From The Daily Beast

The modest calf-length skirts and dresses could be tailor made for Kate Middleton.

From The Daily Beast

This approach is, of course, tailor-made for local news outlets.

From The Daily Beast

I am not the style for tailor-made things, but goodness knows I am glad enough to get anything.

From Project Gutenberg

She wore a neat tailor-made dress of brown cloth, and a small black velvet hat with a big gold buckle.

From Project Gutenberg

The tailor-made gown was not looked upon as a regenerator of æsthetic standards, but it has proved that.

From Project Gutenberg

Then the slender figure in its faultless tailor-made gown disappeared into the omnibus.

From Project Gutenberg

The cut of her tailor-made gown was perfection, her gloves and boots could scarcely have come from anywhere but Paris.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• custom-made
• suitable
• suited

More About Tailor Made

What does tailor-made mean?

Tailor-made means made to fit the needs or specifications of a particular situation, object, or person—or seeming as though it was made that way.

In its most literal sense, tailor-made is used to describe a piece of clothing made by a tailor, especially a suit. A tailor-made garment like this is made specifically to the measurements of the person that it’s for so that it fits them perfectly. This means that it’s one of a kind, as opposed to clothes that are produced in general sizes (often described as ready-to-wear or off-the-rack).

But describing something as tailor-made doesn’t necessarily mean it was made by a tailor. Things other than clothing can be tailor-made. In many cases, it’s simply another way of saying it was custom-made—made to unique specifications.

Sometimes, the term is used to describe something as seemingly a perfect fit for a person or a situation, even though that thing has not been made specifically for them or even made at all, as in Today’s weather is tailor-made for this hike.

Tailor-made can also be used as the past tense of the verb tailor-make, meaning to make in a way that fits a specific situation, as in They didn’t have the replacement part I needed, so I tailor-made one. 

Less commonly, tailor-made can be used as a noun referring to a tailor-made item, as in Here is my collection of tailor-mades. 

Example: Each student will follow a tailor-made curriculum that’s designed to meet their individual needs.

Where does tailor-made come from?

The first records of the term tailor-made come from the 1800s. The ending -made is used in the same way in handmade (meaning “made by hand”) and machine-made (meaning “made by a machine”).

Tailors are associated with their skill in making garments that fit perfectly, and the verb tailor can mean to adjust things to fit a specific situation. If your suit is tailor-made, it should fit perfectly or exactly the way you want it to fit. Even when tailor-made is used in a more general way, it still describes things that fit perfectly, whether they fit a situation, an object, or a person.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to tailor-made?

• tailor-mades (plural)
• tailor-make (verb)

What are some synonyms for tailor-made?

• custom-made
• made-to-order
• made-to-measure
• custom
• bespoke

What are some words that share a root or word element with tailor-made? 

• tailor
• tailored
• handmade
• homemade

What are some words that often get used in discussing tailor-made?

• fit
• perfectly
• suit
• garment
• clothing
• fitted
• program
• specifications
• order
• one of a kind

How is tailor-made used in real life?

Tailor-made is usually used as another way of saying custom-made.

This is a movie tailor made for me and I'm pretty much freaking out. Werewolf. Western. Gimme!https://t.co/JPALDnl9gJ

— Meagan Navarro (@HauntedMeg) August 28, 2019

Human centered design sits at the intersection of empathy and creativity. It starts with people – and ends with tailor made innovative solutions👥🌐✨

🕗In this week's episode, Icey Jiang walks us through the 4 main phases in 60 seconds🕝

Watch here ➡️https://t.co/e2KbWd9wwO pic.twitter.com/ZTBpP4iwF3

— Women Techmakers (@WomenTechmakers) August 27, 2019

A tailor made suit just arrived this morning from London. I ordered it a year ago, and it is beyond perfect. Sad that I have nowhere to wear it to.

When this is done, all I want to do is take a quiet evening stroll around Tokyo, dressed to the nines.

— Kyle McLain (@FarmboyinJapan) April 15, 2020

 

 

Try using tailor-made!

Which of the following words is NOT a synonym of tailor–made?

A. custom-made
B. made-to-order
C. factory-made
D. made-to-measure