mass customization

noun

: the mass production of individually customized products, goods, and services

This courting of the customer has created a new trend. We are moving from mass production to mass customization; from providing a customer with a car of "any color he chooses, provided it is black" to offering the customer so many choices and options that the product is almost tailor made to his or her specifications.

—Joseph Kelada, Integrating Reengineering With Total Quality, 1996

Word History

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

The Ultimate Dictionary Awaits

Expand your vocabulary and dive deeper into language with Merriam-Webster Unabridged.

1. Expanded definitions
2. Detailed etymologies
3. Advanced search tools
4. All ad-free

Discover what makes Merriam-Webster Unabridged the essential choice for true word lovers.

Start Your Free Trial Now

Rhymes for mass customization

• acclimatisation
• acclimatization
• acidification
• actualization
• annualization
• autocorrelation
• autoregulation
• beatification
• beneficiation
• biodegradation
• biotransformation
• bureaucratization