Synonyms

sales

American

[seylz] / seɪlz /

noun

plural of sale.

adjective

of, relating to, or engaged in sales.

sales records for the month of January; a sales department.

Etymology

Origin of sales

First recorded in 1820–30, for the adjective

Explanation

When a company’s sales are down, it hasn’t been making money. The word sales refers to income. If a bathing suit company’s sales are low, it should stop making wool bikinis. Sales is also the plural of “sale.” If a jewelry maker is worried about sales during the year's slow months, he might offer a discount. And when a big company focuses too much on sales, they sometimes lose track of the other aspects of doing business. Stores have big sales. The job or activity of selling things is also known as sales, so you could have a sales job, or even a title like "Director of Sales" or "sales representative."

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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.

Sales and backlog growth give investors confidence to finance the next round of growth at a lower cost of capital.

From Barron's • May 7, 2026

Sales growth at pizza restaurants has lagged behind the broader fast-food market for years, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Sales and operating profit guidance ranges have been raised by 1 percentage point.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

Sales actually grew 20% year over year on an improving vehicle mix.

From Barron's • May 5, 2026

Sales were down to 30,0 pairs a year, mostly to backwoods outlets and small-town family stores.

From "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023