customer
Americannoun
-
a person who purchases goods or services from another; buyer; patron.
-
Informal. a person one has to deal with.
a tough customer; a cool customer.
noun
-
a person who buys
-
informal a person with whom one has dealings
a cool customer
Etymology
Origin of customer
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; custom + -er 1; compare Middle English customer “collector of customs,” from Anglo-French; Old French costumier, cognate with Medieval Latin custumārius; see customary
Explanation
A customer is anyone paying for a good or service. Without customers, businesses would go out of business. When you're paying for just about anything, you're a customer. People shopping at the grocery store, sitting in coffee shops, going to movies, and buying DVDs online are all customers. The point of advertising is to drum up new customers for a business. There's a cliché that "The customer is always right," which is obviously not true, but shows how businesses try to make customers happy. They'd better. Without customers, any business is in deep trouble.
Vocabulary lists containing customer
Business, List 1
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Unit 17, Lesson 2
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
It's useful to think about what will remain strong sources of differentiation: ownership of physical resources; large social networks; proprietary data; high customer switching costs; strong distribution channels; intellectual property; talent.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Two-year-old Beacon focuses on software companies that serve niche customer bases and are open to improving their businesses using AI.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
They are supremely American, even if their loyal customer bases are more centered in Europe or Asia.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Theresa got a job working full time in a bank customer service call centre.
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
“Howie thought the customer business was stupid,” says one of several traders closest to Hubler.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
