wholesale
English meaning: Wholesale
Definition
The sale of products, often in large quantities, to retailers or other merchants.
Example
“They buy the goods wholesale and sell them at a markup.”
Another example: “The new manager made wholesale changes to the entire department.”
Usage — When, Where & How
A noun, verb and adjective from commerce meaning the sale of goods in bulk to retailers rather than the public. As an adjective/adverb it also means done on a large, indiscriminate scale ('wholesale changes'). Business register.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
From Middle English 'whole sale' ('sale in large quantity'), from 'whole' + 'sale', from the 15th century.
Synonyms
- bulk
- large-scale
- sweeping
- indiscriminate
Antonyms / Opposites
- retail
- piecemeal
- selective
Related Words
- grocer
- vial
- grocery
- retail
- groceries
- distributor
- dose
- liquor
- vegetable
- warehouse
Common Collocations
- wholesale price
- buy wholesale
- wholesale market
- wholesale changes
- wholesale distributor
- sell wholesale
Word Forms
wholesale (n); wholesale (adj/adv); wholesaler (n)
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
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Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B