'made-to-measure' is a compound of 'made' (the past participle of 'make') and the phrase 'to measure', formed in modern English to describe items produced according to measurements.

'made' goes back to Old English 'macian' (to make) via Middle English; 'measure' comes from Old French 'mesure' ultimately from Latin 'mensura'. The compound phrase 'made to measure' emerged in English usage in the 18th–19th century to describe tailored garments and then generalised.

Originally it meant literally 'made according to exact physical measurements'; over time it also acquired the figurative sense 'exactly suitable' or 'custom-fit' for purposes beyond clothing.