supplier

The word “supplier” means a person or company that provides goods or materials. In plain terms, a business or person that provides goods, materials, or services to others.

“Supplier” is pronounced suh-PLEYE-uh (/səˈplaɪə/ in IPA).

Here is “supplier” used in a sentence: “The factory switched suppliers after repeated late deliveries.”

“Supplier” is a noun.

“Supplier” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

A supplier is a person or company that provides goods or materials, often earlier in a supply chain, such as a raw-materials or parts provider to a manufacturer. A vendor is a broader term for anyone who sells goods or services, including retailers selling directly to consumers, so all suppliers can be considered vendors but not all vendors are suppliers in the strict sense.

A supplier provides goods or materials, often producing or sourcing them, while a distributor's specific role is moving those goods from suppliers to retailers or other businesses, typically handling storage and logistics in between. A distributor is essentially a middleman between the supplier and the end seller.

A manufacturer is a company that makes products, while a supplier is the broader term for any person or company that provides goods or materials, which could include manufacturers, wholesalers, or resellers. A manufacturer can be a type of supplier, but a supplier does not necessarily make the goods itself.