supply

The word “supply” means to provide something needed. In plain terms, to provide something, or the stock/amount of something available.

“Supply” is pronounced suh-PLEYE (/səˈplaɪ/ in IPA).

Here is “supply” used in a sentence: “The city's water supply is running low.”

Words with a similar meaning to “supply” include provision.

Depending on how it is used, “supply” can be a verb and a noun.

The word “supply” comes from Latin. From Old French soupleer, from Latin suppleo ("to fill up, complete").

“Supply” is a very common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Supply” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to provide something needed.

The two are close, but supply often stresses meeting a need or demand, especially in ongoing or commercial quantities, while provide is broader and can cover intangibles such as advice or support. You supply goods to a shop; you provide comfort to a friend. Supply leans practical and material.

In economics, supply is how much of something is available for sale, while demand is how much buyers actually want. Prices tend to settle where the two meet. The pairing is one of the most basic ideas in economics, describing how markets balance what sellers offer against what buyers seek.

A bakery supplies bread to local cafes, delivering it regularly to meet their needs. Other examples include a factory supplying parts to a car maker, a reservoir supplying water to a town, or a teacher supplying pupils with the materials they need for a lesson. Each provides something required.

Yes. As a noun, supply means a stock or amount of something available, as in a supply of fresh water, or the act of providing it. It also appears in phrases such as supply chain and in short supply, while the plural supplies means provisions or gathered materials.