supermarket
Americannoun
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a large retail market that sells food and other household goods and that is usually operated on a self-service basis.
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any business or company offering an unusually wide range of goods or services.
a financial supermarket that sells stocks, bonds, insurance, and real estate.
noun
Etymology
Origin of supermarket
Explanation
A supermarket is a store that sells groceries and other goods. Although supermarkets are primarily places to buy food, nowadays you can find everything from shampoo to toys to bestselling novels at a large supermarket. The distinguishing characteristics of a supermarket are that it sells food and household products, and that shoppers serve themselves, often pushing grocery carts and filling them with items. Though some people think of supermarkets as being much larger than grocery stores, others use the two terms interchangeably. This American-coined word first appeared in print in the early 1930s.
Vocabulary lists containing supermarket
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.
Many people give little thought to how our food makes it to the supermarket shelves - until the prices start to go up.
From BBC • Apr. 28, 2026
The shop aims to act as a mix between a food bank and a supermarket, helping people with the cost of living while maintaining a shopping experience, its organisers said.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Kuram Malik, 40, an assistant manager at a supermarket in a central area of the capital, said his shop was no longer able to bring fresh goods from outside the capital.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
Cait Yardy, 27, works in a supermarket, as a private tutor and a social media content creator.
From BBC • Apr. 20, 2026
“Wait here,” I told him, and I ducked into this big supermarket.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
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.
