noun
wholesale
HOHL-sayl
noun
1
The sale of goods in large quantities, typically to retailers rather than to individual customers.
"The warehouse deals only in wholesale, not retail."
adj
1
Done on a large, sweeping scale, often without much care or discrimination.
"The policy led to wholesale changes across the entire department."
verb
1
To sell goods in bulk to retailers rather than directly to consumers.
"The farm wholesales its produce to supermarkets across the region."
How to Use Wholesale
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishBuying or selling in bulk; or, more broadly, doing something on a large, sweeping scale.
Common pairings
wholesale price
wholesale changes
buy wholesale
Word Forms
more wholesale comparative, more wholesale comparative, wholesaled past tense, wholesales plural, wholesales singular, most wholesale superlative, most wholesale superlative
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The warehouse deals only in _____, not retail.
Etymology
From whole plus sale — literally "selling as a whole" (in bulk) rather than piece by piece.