Dictionary
1wholesale
noun whole·sale \ˈhōl-ˌsāl\
: the business of selling things in large amounts to other businesses rather than to individual customers
Full Definition of WHOLESALE
: the sale of commodities in quantity usually for resale (as by a retail merchant)
See wholesale defined for English-language learners
See wholesale defined for kids
ADVERTISEMENT
First Known Use of WHOLESALE
15th century
Other Business Terms
Rhymes with WHOLESALE
abseil, airmail, all hail, assail, avail, bake sale, bangtail, blackmail, blacktail, bobtail, broadscale, broadtail, bucktail, bud scale, canaille, cattail, chain mail, coattail, cocktail, contrail, curtail, derail, detail, doornail, dovetail, downscale, ducktail, e-mail, entail, exhale, fan mail, fantail, female, fife rail, fire sale, fishtail, folktale, foresail, foxtail, fresh gale, full-scale, gapped scale, Glendale, gray scale, greenmail, guardrail, Hallel, handrail, hangnail, headsail, hightail, hobnail, horntail, horsetail, impale, inhale, junk mail, Longueuil, lugsail, mainsail, mare's tail, Mondale, moon snail, oxtail, pass-fail, percale, pigtail, pintail, pinwale, plate rail, pot ale, prevail, rattail, regale, resale, rescale, retail, right whale, ringtail, Sangreal, Scottsdale, sea kale, shavetail, shirttail, skysail, slop pail, small-scale, snail mail, soft hail, split rail, springtail, spritsail, square sail, staysail, strong gale, surveil, swordtail, taffrail, tag sale, telltale, third rail, thumbnail, timescale, toenail, topsail, travail, trysail, unnail, unveil, upscale, ventail, voice mail, wage scale, wagtail, wassail, whiptail, white sale, whitetail, white whale, whole gale, yard sale
2wholesale
adjective
: relating to the business of selling things in large amounts to other businesses rather than to individual customers
: affecting large numbers of people or things
Full Definition of WHOLESALE
1
: performed or existing on a large scale especially without discrimination <wholesale slaughter>
2
: of, relating to, or engaged in the sale of commodities in quantity for resale <a wholesale grocer>
See wholesale defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of WHOLESALE
1642
Other Business Terms
3wholesale
adverb
Definition of WHOLESALE
: in a wholesale manner
First Known Use of WHOLESALE
1732
4wholesale
verb
: to sell (things) to other businesses rather than to individual customers
: to be sold to other businesses for a specified price
whole·saledwhole·sal·ing
Full Definition of WHOLESALE
transitive verb
: to sell (something) in quantity usually for resale
intransitive verb
: to sell in quantity usually for resale
See wholesale defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of WHOLESALE
1800
Other Business Terms
WHOLESALE Defined for Kids
1wholesale
noun whole·sale \ˈhōl-ˌsāl\
Definition of WHOLESALE for Kids
: the sale of goods in large quantities to dealers
2wholesale
adjective
Definition of WHOLESALE for Kids
1
: of, relating to, or working at selling to dealers
2
: done or happening on a large scale <wholesale panic>
3wholesale
verb
whole·saledwhole·sal·ing
Definition of WHOLESALE for Kids
: to sell to dealers usually in large quantities
— whole·sal·er noun
Learn More About WHOLESALE
Browse
Next Word in the Dictionary: wholesale life insurancePrevious Word in the Dictionary: whole–sailAll Words Near: wholesale
ADVERTISEMENT
Seen & Heard
What made you want to look up wholesale? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).