supplier

Everyday

A supplier is a person or company that provides goods or services to other people or businesses, often regularly. tree →

In the lessons

In money and business lessons, a shop buys goods from a supplier and sells them to customers for more, which is how it makes a profit. In maths problems, a supplier's price per item is used to work out costs. Energy suppliers provide gas and electricity to homes.

Examples

• The bakery gets its flour from a local supplier. tree →
• Our energy supplier sends a bill every month. tree →
• The shop changed suppliers to get cheaper prices. tree →
• A supplier sells 100 pencils for £5; how much is each pencil? tree →
• The school's food supplier delivers every morning. tree →
• Farmers are suppliers to supermarkets. tree →
• Good suppliers deliver on time. tree →

Note

Countable: suppliers. Spelling: supply → supplier (y → i). Verb: supply. In maths, the shop's profit = selling price − the supplier's price.