wholesale

American  

[hohl-seyl] / ˈhoʊlˌseɪl /

noun

wholesales plural

1. the sale of goods in quantity, as to retailers or jobbers, for resale (opposed to retail).

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or engaged in sale by wholesale.

2. extensive; broadly indiscriminate.

   wholesale discharge of workers.

   Synonyms:

   promiscuous, undiscriminating, inclusive, thorough, comprehensive, far-reaching

adverb

1. in a wholesale way; on wholesale terms.

   I can get it for you wholesale.

2. in large quantities; on a large scale, especially without discrimination.

   Wild horses were slaughtered wholesale.

verb (used with or without object)

wholesales, present (3rd person singular) wholesaled, past participle, past wholesaling present participle

1. to sell by wholesale.

wholesale British  

/ ˈhəʊlˌseɪl /

noun

1. the business of selling goods to retailers in larger quantities than they are sold to final consumers but in smaller quantities than they are purchased from manufacturers Compare retail

2. 1. in large quantities

   2. at wholesale prices

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or engaged in such business

2. made, done, etc, on a large scale or without discrimination

adverb

1. on a large scale or without discrimination

verb

1. to sell (goods) at wholesale

wholesale Cultural  

1. The sale of merchandise to retailers rather than directly to the public.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wholesaler
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wholesales
  plural

Participles

• wholesaling
  present
• wholesaled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• wholesale
  simple
• wholesales
  simple
• have wholesaled
  perfect
• has wholesaled
  perfect
• am wholesaling
  progressive
• are wholesaling
  progressive
• is wholesaling
  progressive
• have been wholesaling
  perfect progressive
• has been wholesaling
  perfect progressive

Past

• wholesaled
  simple
• had wholesaled
  perfect
• was wholesaling
  progressive
• were wholesaling
  progressive
• had been wholesaling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will wholesale
  simple
• will have wholesaled
  perfect
• will be wholesaling
  progressive
• will have been wholesaling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of wholesale

1375–1425; late Middle English, from the phrase by hole sale in gross; see whole, sale

Explanation

Use the adjective wholesale to describe something that's done on a big, broad scale, like wholesale changes made by a new government that affect an entire country. It's pretty common to see the phrase "wholesale destruction," especially when historians are talking about the overwhelming effects of war or ecological disasters. When wholesale is a verb, it has a very different meaning — to sell things in bulk, usually to someone who is going to sell it again at a higher retail price. The earliest meaning of the word was "in large quantities," combining whole and sale into the phrase "by whole sale."

Example Sentences

Wholesale oil and gas prices have risen in the wake of the war in Iran.

From BBC • Jun. 8, 2026

Retailers from Levi Strauss to Costco Wholesale and Walmart are working to understand the shift.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

Its top food and beverage picks are General Mills and Coca-Cola, respectively, while BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings is their pick for food retailers and Dutch Bros for restaurants.

From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026

The companies identified as a part of the settlement included the maker of the smoke bomb, Wholesale Fireworks Corp., and its subsidiary, American Fireworks Wholesale LLC, which are both based in Ohio.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026

Wholesale prices for industrial products have been based on average costs for each product in the relevant industrial branch.

From Area Handbook for Romania by Bernier, Donald W.

Related Words

• extensive
• indiscriminate
• large-scale
• sweeping