noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of florist
Explanation
A florist is someone whose job involves arranging and selling cut flowers. If you can't decide what flowers to buy your mom for Mother's Day, you can ask a florist for advice. It's most common to call the owner or manager of a flower shop a florist, although the word is also used to mean a person who grows flowers meant for cutting. Whether you're buying flowers for a sick friend or planning the bouquets for a wedding, a florist is the person you should consult. Florist comes from the French fleuriste, from the Latin root word flos, or "flower."
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.
See Examples For:
The florist said she tried to appear calm but was "absolutely petrified" at the situation.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
And he's not the only one, with florist Kadir Kokus saying sales had been badly hit since the boards were erected late last month.
From Barron's ● Jul. 4, 2026
My mom worked a number of service jobs over the course of her life, whether it was as a baker or a florist at a grocery store or working at a customer call center.
From Salon ● Apr. 27, 2026
América Peraza, a florist in Mexico City, gushes over García Harfuch, describing him as handsome, intelligent and elegant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 12, 2026
Madame Carre, the florist, tucks great fistfuls of it into an arrangement headed for the chateau.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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They’re assisting the wealthy DeMille family who, it’s safe to say, are not your average florists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026
The raids also affected small businesses orbiting around quinceañeras: makers of embossed invitations, sellers of tiaras and crowns, choreographers, caterers, florists and more.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
“The competitive landscape is intensifying as consumers easily compare prices and reviews, forcing florists to continually innovate to retain market share.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
Overall, there was only a single topline category, miscellaneous store retailers—which includes florists, thrift stores, and pet stores—that posted an outright decline in monthly spending.
From Barron's ● Apr. 21, 2026
Tuxedos went to the cleaners; flowers came from the florists; Bunny put away his copy of The Bride of Fu Manchu and started carrying around a volume of Homer instead.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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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.