Supplier: meaning, definitions and examples

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supplier

 

[ səˈplaɪər ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

business

A person or company that provides goods or services to another company.

Synonyms

provider, seller, vendor.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
supplier

Used when referring to a person or company that provides goods or services, typically in a business-to-business context.

  • Our primary supplier recently increased their prices.
vendor

Commonly used in commercial settings to refer to a company or individual that sells products, especially in contexts like marketplaces, fairs, or street markets.

  • We bought fresh produce from a local vendor at the market.
provider

Appropriate when discussing someone or something that supplies a service, especially in telecommunications, IT, healthcare, etc.

  • We chose a new internet service provider for better connectivity.
seller

Best used in a general context to refer to a person or entity that sells goods or services to consumers or other businesses.

  • The seller assured us the product was brand new.

Examples of usage

  • The supplier delivers the materials on time.
  • Our main supplier of office supplies is currently out of stock.
  • The company decided to switch to a new supplier for better quality products.
Context #2 | Noun

business

A person who supplies illegal drugs.

Synonyms

drug dealer, pusher, trafficker.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
supplier

Typically used in a business context to refer to a person or company that provides products or services to another organization.

  • We need to find a new supplier for our raw materials.
  • The supplier has delivered the goods on time.
drug dealer

Refers to someone who illegally sells drugs. Usually has a negative connotation.

  • The police arrested the drug dealer.
  • He was known in the neighborhood as a drug dealer.
trafficker

Refers to a person who illegally trades or smuggles goods, often related to drugs or people. This term has a highly negative connotation.

  • The authorities have cracked down on human traffickers.
  • He was convicted as a drug trafficker.
pusher

Colloquial term for someone who sells illegal drugs. It also carries a negative connotation.

  • She was caught dealing with a known pusher.
  • The pusher was seen near the school again.

Examples of usage

  • The police arrested the drug supplier.
  • He was known in the neighborhood as a supplier of narcotics.

Translations

Translations of the word "supplier" in other languages:

🇵🇹 fornecedor

🇮🇳 आपूर्तिकर्ता

🇩🇪 Lieferant

🇮🇩 pemasok

🇺🇦 постачальник

🇵🇱 dostawca

🇯🇵 供給者

🇫🇷 fournisseur

🇪🇸 proveedor

🇹🇷 tedarikçi

🇰🇷 공급자

🇸🇦 مورد

🇨🇿 dodavatel

🇸🇰 dodávateľ

🇨🇳 供应商

🇸🇮 dobavitelj

🇮🇸 birgir

🇰🇿 жеткізуші

🇬🇪 მომწოდებელი

🇦🇿 təchizatçı

🇲🇽 proveedor

Etymology

The word 'supplier' originates from the verb 'supply', which comes from Old French 'soplieier' and Latin 'supplere', meaning 'to fill up'. The term evolved over time to refer to individuals or companies that provide goods or services. In the context of illegal drugs, 'supplier' gained usage to describe those involved in the distribution of narcotics.

See also: oversupply, supplied, suppliers, supplies, supplying, undersupply.

Word Frequency Rank

At #6,853 in frequency, this word belongs to advanced vocabulary. It's less common than core vocabulary but important for sophisticated expression.