tailor
1 Americannoun
verb (used with object)
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to make by tailor's work.
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to fashion or adapt to a particular taste, purpose, need, etc..
to tailor one's actions to those of another.
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to fit or furnish with clothing.
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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)
noun
noun
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a person who makes, repairs, or alters outer garments, esp menswear
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a voracious and active marine food fish, Pomatomus saltator, of Australia with scissor-like teeth
verb
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to cut or style (material, clothes, etc) to satisfy certain requirements
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(tr) to adapt so as to make suitable for something specific
he tailored his speech to suit a younger audience
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(intr) to follow the occupation of a tailor
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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tailorsimple
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tailorssimple
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have tailoredperfect
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has tailoredperfect
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am tailoringprogressive
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are tailoringprogressive
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is tailoringprogressive
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have been tailoringperfect progressive
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has been tailoringperfect progressive
Past
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tailoredsimple
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had tailoredperfect
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was tailoringprogressive
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were tailoringprogressive
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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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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:
He is a tailor in Nigeria who designed and made the suit Ehis wore for his ceremony.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
But his approach is direct indexing — he uses Frec.com, one of Social Leverage’s “big investments” — so he can tailor an index like the S&P 500 to his preferences.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
One project uses AI analysis of anonymised mobile phone data to spot mass-population movements during disasters, determining where people are fleeing, to help humanitarians better tailor their response.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
A deeper understanding of how these lasers behave could help scientists improve their stability and tailor them more effectively for specialized applications.
From Science Daily ● May 21, 2026
Three Turkish soldiers stand in a tailor shop.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
"Vietnam has no shortage of highly skilled tailors and hand embroiderers, but many of them are overlooked and do not receive the income they deserve," she says.
From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026
They created ready-to-wear suits, opened retail stores and created a reputation for unparalleled craftsmanship at a far lower price point than the tailors of Savile Row.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 9, 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
I stood with my arms spread wide and let the tailors measure me.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
"Generative AI enables disinformation to be created at unprecedented scale, tailored to specific audiences, and disseminated with remarkable speed," an EU official said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
This strengthens the argument for diagnostic and treatment strategies tailored more closely to each individual.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 27, 2026
The agreement will see Ford and Geely form a new Europe-focused joint venture that will manufacture passenger vehicles for both brands that are tailored for the European market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
“This estate-planning tool is designed to benefit the entire family and can be tailored to include only certain assets, or only a portion of a particular asset that would otherwise be received.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 23, 2026
It was a tailored tie-silk dressing gown, beige, with a pretty pattern of minute pink tea roses.
From "Franny and Zooey" by J. D. Salinger
Jesús Sosa Guerra, who recently opened a tailoring business inside the swap meet, said he supports the proposal but worries existing tenants could be displaced.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
Flutter’s CEO states the World Cup is a key customer acquisition opportunity, tailoring educational content for new American bettors.
From Barron's ● Jun. 11, 2026
The designer drew inspiration for Gregory’s burgundy coat from a Coogler red carpet moment, tailoring a clean, sophisticated silhouette while playing with the scale of Janine’s costume.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
"In farming, the person who uses a tractor is more efficient than the person who uses the horse. In the tailoring industry, we are still at the level where we are using the horse."
From BBC ● May 23, 2026
Farmer started treating patients in August 1996, transporting Zanmi Lasante’s TB program to Carabayllo, and tailoring it to MDR and other local circumstances.
From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French
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.
