tailor

noun

tai·lor | \ˈtā-lər

\

Definition of tailor

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person whose occupation is making or altering garments (such as suits, jackets, and dresses) typically to fit a particular person

tailor

verb

tailored; tailoring; tailors

Definition of tailor (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to make or fashion as the work of a tailor

b : to make or adapt to suit a special need or purpose

2 : to fit with clothes

3 : to style with trim straight lines and finished handwork

intransitive verb

: to do the work of a tailor

Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about tailor

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Examples of tailor in a Sentence

Verb

I had my suit tailored. They tailored the show for younger audiences.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Cicco followed in his father’s path and became a tailor. — Carole Carlson, Post-Tribune, "Longtime Merrillville tailor John Cicco dead at 93," 6 July 2018 Peter also learned to become a brewer and a tailor. — Danielle Jackson, Longreads, "Oral History Project Grounds Story of Monticello in the Lives of the Enslaved," 27 June 2018 Peter also learned to become a brewer and a tailor. — Andrew M. Davenport, Smithsonian, "Putting Enslaved Families’ Stories Back in the Monticello Narrative," 14 June 2018 Dream job: Creative director of Moncler, or a Savile Row tailor. — Emilia Petrarca, The Cut, "Look What You’ll Be Wearing in Ten Years," 30 May 2018 Players were fitted by tailors in Cleveland weeks ago and packed the ensemble for the trip. — Scott Patsko, cleveland.com, "Cavaliers vs. Pacers: Winners and losers from Game 3," 21 Apr. 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's love story was tailor made for a Lifetime movie. — Jane Onyanga-omara, USA TODAY, "How Meghan Markle will reinvent the royal family. And the U.K.," 16 May 2018 Vietnamese tailors mixed with Indian petrochemical engineers. — The Economist, "Demography is not destinyBuilding a multiracial coalition is more difficult than it seems," 12 July 2018 The Internet’s massive connectivity is tailor-made for the free exchange of ideas on which democratic rule is based. — James Stavridis, Time, "Democracy Isn't Perfect, But It Will Still Prevail," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Thanks to the scholarship, Paul enjoys a robust schedule of services tailored to his needs. — Guest Columnist/cleveland.com, cleveland.com, "Thanks to the Ohio Autism Scholarship, our son receives therapies needed to succeed in the classroom: Robert and Amanda Fife (Opinion)," 29 Apr. 2018 The message, tailored to Trump’s preference for images, was implicit: Afghanistan is not hopeless. — Kathryn Schulz, The New Yorker, "McMaster and Commander," 23 Apr. 2018 In the wake of Fenty Beauty's success, more and more brands are stepping up with inclusive shade ranges and products specifically tailored to those with darker skin tones. — Macaela Mackenzie, Allure, "Target Just Added 8 Makeup Brands For Dark Skin Tones to Its Stores," 17 Apr. 2018 Woodley’s honest, unfussy performance seems perfectly tailored to the script. — Jocelyn Noveck, kansascity, "‘Adrift’: Woman vs. nature tale for the #MeToo era," 31 May 2018 If allowed, large national providers like United Healthcare and Blue Cross could provide nationwide menus for consumers to tailor to their needs at a much lower cost. — WSJ, "Tax-Free Health Spending Is Only the Start," 5 July 2018 Marketers could use that information to better tailor commercial messages. — Ryan Faughnder, latimes.com, "How AT&T could use Time Warner shows and movies to compete with Disney and Netflix," 3 July 2018 Sullivan and Abler try to tailor their work to meet schools' needs and are open to many kinds of partnerships with schools outside MPS and other organizations. — Diana Dombrowski, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "An inside look at the Walker's Point community arts center renovation," 2 July 2018 That's something the New England Patriots have been doing through the team's operator, Kraft Sports Group, which examines fan behavior and uses analytics to tailor its marketing tactics. — Katherine Peralta And Joseph Person, charlotteobserver, "A new chapter is about to begin for the Carolina Panthers. Here's what we know.," 29 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tailor.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about tailor

Dictionary Entries near tailor

tail of the eye

tailor's cushion

Statistics for tailor

Last Updated

17 Oct 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for tailor

The first known use of tailor was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for tailor

tailor

noun

English Language Learners Definition of tailor

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person who makes men's clothes (such as suits and jackets) that are measured to fit a particular person

tailor

verb

English Language Learners Definition of tailor (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make (clothing that is measured to fit a particular person)

: to make or change (something) so that it meets a special need or purpose

See the full definition for tailor in the English Language Learners Dictionary

tailor

noun

tai·lor | \ˈtā-lər

\

Kids Definition of tailor

(Entry 1 of 2)

: a person whose business is making or making adjustments in clothes

tailor

verb

tailored; tailoring

Kids Definition of tailor (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : to make or make adjustments in (clothes)

2 : to change to fit a special need They tailored their plans to suit the weather.

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