Meaning & use
tailor
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A person whose job is to make, fit, or alter clothes, especially suits and formal wear.
Grammar: Countable: a tailor, two tailors. Often used with 'go to' or 'see'.
Patterns
- a tailor's shop
- go to the tailor
He took his jacket to a tailor to have the sleeves shortened.
The tailor measured my waist and shoulders before making the suit.
She works as a tailor in a small shop downtown.
verbtransitive
To adjust or design something to suit a particular need, purpose, or person.
Grammar: Takes an object: tailor the course. Often followed by 'to' or 'for': tailor it to your needs.
Patterns
- tailor something to someone/something
- tailor something for someone/something
The teacher tailored the lesson to the students' interests.
We can tailor the software to meet your company's needs.
The program is tailored for beginners.
Word forms
| third person singular | tailors |
|---|---|
| past tense | tailored |
| past participle | tailored |
| -ing form | tailoring |
| plural | tailors |
Common combinations
- tailor a suit
- The tailor will tailor a suit to your exact measurements.
- tailor something to someone
- She tailored her speech to the young audience.
- tailor something for a purpose
- The course is tailored for working professionals.
- tailor-made
- The job seems tailor-made for her skills.
Synonyms and how they differ
- dressmaker
- A person who makes women's clothes, especially dresses, rather than suits; 'tailor' is more general for formal wear.
- seamstress
- A woman who sews clothes, often as a job; 'tailor' usually implies more skilled fitting and alteration.
- customize
- A verb meaning to change something to fit a person or purpose; 'tailor' is more specific to clothing or careful adjustment.
Word family
Commonly confused: tailor or taylor?
tailor vs taylor
A common surname, not the occupation; the job is spelled 'tailor'.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
The verb 'tailor' is usually followed by 'to' when matching something to a need: tailor something to something. 'For' can sometimes appear (tailor for a purpose), but 'to' is the standard choice with 'needs'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tailor”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.