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long tail

British

noun

commerce the segment of a market representing the large number of products that sell in small quantities, considered by some to be of greater financial value than the few products that sell in very large quantities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of long tail

C21: from the appearance of typical sales patterns on a graph

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.

Bain described a “K-shaped” market in private equity, with “elite funds” continuing to perform well while the long tail of other funds “muddles through.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026

Colbert was given a pink slip with a long tail this year.

From Salon • Dec. 24, 2025

Stokes used himself as the fifth bowler, firstly snuffing out any suggestion of an Australia fightback then running through the long tail.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

On Tuesday, however, Novo Nordisk’s stock also appeared to be benefiting from the long tail of excitement around the pricing deal in the U.S., in addition to a new pricing agreement in India.

From MarketWatch • Nov. 11, 2025

The torso narrowed to a long, long tail.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023