inventory
Americannoun
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a complete listing of merchandise or stock on hand, work in progress, raw materials, finished goods on hand, etc., made each year by a business concern.
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the objects or items represented on such a list, as a merchant's stock of goods.
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the aggregate value of a stock of goods.
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raw material from the time of its receipt at an industrial plant for manufacturing purposes to the time it is sold.
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a detailed, often descriptive, list of articles, giving the code number, quantity, and value of each; catalog.
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a formal list of movables, as of a merchant's stock of goods.
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a formal list of the property of a person or estate.
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a tally of one's personality traits, aptitudes, skills, etc., for use in counseling and guidance.
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a catalog of natural resources, especially a count or estimate of wildlife and game in a particular area.
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the act of making a catalog or detailed listing.
verb (used with object)
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to make an inventory of; enter in an inventory; catalog.
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to take stock of; evaluate.
to inventory one's life and accomplishments.
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to summarize.
to inventory the progress in chemistry.
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to keep an available supply of (merchandise); stock.
verb (used without object)
noun
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a detailed list of articles, goods, property, etc
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(often plural) accounting
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the amount or value of a firm's current assets that consist of raw materials, work in progress, and finished goods; stock
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such assets individually
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verb
Usage
What does inventory mean? An inventory is a complete list of all merchandise or stock of items owned by or available from a business. At a store, an inventory is the complete list of all items for sale at the store. At a manufacturer, an inventory is a complete list of all the raw materials they have, as well as finished items and items being created. An inventory is also the specific set of products to sell, as in The store’s inventory of superhero capes is running low and will probably sell out soon. An inventory can also refer to figurative belongings, such as a person’s personality traits and skills. To inventory means to add things to an inventory list, whether a literal or figurative list, as in I inventoried my options for colleges and chose the school I’ll attend next year. Example: Can you take inventory tonight so we can be ready for the rush tomorrow?
Synonym Usage
See list 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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inventoriableadjective
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inventorialadjective
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overinventoriedadjective
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inventoriallyadverb
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preinventorynoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have inventoriedperfect
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has inventoriedperfect 3rd person singular
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have been inventoryingperfect progressive
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has been inventoryingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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is inventoryingprogressive 3rd person singular
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inventoryingparticiple
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are inventoryingprogressive
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am inventoryingprogressive 1st person singular
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inventoriessingular 3rd person
Past
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had inventoriedperfect
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were inventoryingprogressive plural
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had been inventoryingperfect progressive
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inventoriedsimple
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was inventoryingprogressive singular
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inventoriedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of inventory
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English inventorie, from Medieval Latin inventōrium; see invent, -tory 2
Explanation
An inventory is an itemized list of everything you have. So you better take inventory of what’s in the fridge before going grocery shopping. Otherwise you'll end up with more jars of mustard that you don't need. The noun form of inventory developed in the early 15th century from the Middle French inventaire, meaning “detailed list of goods.” It's most commonly used in retail: a shop's inventory is everything that they have in stock, ready to sell. You can also use inventory as a verb when you want to describe the act of listing out the merchandise or supplies you have on hand.
Vocabulary lists containing inventory
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Dadhania explained that while this partially represents the fact that Nike products account for about 60% of Foot Locker’s total revenue, “lower quality inventory and/or softer sell through rates” may also be to blame.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026
In the company’s last earnings call in April, CEO Tim Cook said the company has so far been able to offset the pricing pressure with memory inventory it already had on hand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
It has also been accused of dumping inventory it now cannot sell on SeatGeek.
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
One expert told Politico, “I’ve never seen inventory numbers fall so much so quickly. It is stunning.”
From Salon • Jun. 7, 2026
How I’d stood by his shoulder when he did the books or checked the inventory.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
