ready-made

1 of 2

adjective

ˌre-dē-ˈmād 

1

: made beforehand especially for general sale

ready-made suits

2

: lacking originality or individuality

3

: readily available

her illness provided a ready-made excuse

ready-made

2 of 2

noun

1

: something (such as a garment) that is ready-made

2

usually readymade [French ready-made, from English] : a commonplace artifact (such as a comb or ice tongs) selected and shown as a work of art

Synonyms of ready-made

Adjective

• bought
• store

Examples of ready-made in a Sentence

Adjective

the store carries mostly inexpensive ready-made clothing

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

While his previous rosters were ready-made, this one required more teaching. — Jay King, New York Times, 28 May 2026

The most expensive work sold at auction by a living artist is Jeff Koons’s Rabbit, which takes the idea of a ready-made and casts it in stainless steel. — Nate Freeman, Vanity Fair, 24 Apr. 2026

Noun

The recent termination letter sent to Scott Pelley is full of content ready-made for responses. — Allbusiness, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

While his previous rosters were ready-made, this one required more teaching. — Jay King, New York Times, 28 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1882, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for ready-made

• accolade
• ambuscade
• antegrade
• balustrade
• barricade
• cannonade
• cavalcade
• centigrade
• chambermaid
• colonnade
• countertrade
• disobeyed

Kids Definition

ready-made

1 of 2 adjective

ˌred-ē-ˈmād

: made beforehand for immediate use

ready-made clothes

ready-made

2 of 2 noun

: something that is ready-made