confectionery
Americannoun
-
candy or other confections collectively.
-
the work or business of a confectioner, who makes or sells confections.
-
a place where confections are sold; a confectioner's shop.
noun
-
sweets and other confections collectively
-
the art or business of a confectioner
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of confectionery
First recorded in 1535–45; confection + -ery
Explanation
Confectionery is a fancy word for candy and other sweet treats, the place where they're sold, and the art of making them. If you're craving sour gummy worms or chocolate-covered pistachios, you can satisfy your sweet tooth by visiting a confectionery. Confectionery comes from confection, another word for a sugary treat. The candy aisle, cupcake bakery, and artisan chocolate shop can all be called confectioneries. Some chefs study confectionery in culinary school. You can also use the word to mean sweets. For some people, Halloween is all about dressing up in fabulous costumes, but for others, it's a perfect occasion to collect bags full of confectionery!
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.
The company said fourth-quarter profit declines for its North America Confectionery segment were driven partially by higher commodity and tariff costs.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
Confectionery historian Alex Hutchinson said many confectioners were lowering the amount of cocoa ingredients in their chocolate in favour of cheaper alternatives.
From BBC • Oct. 20, 2025
Confectionery creativity has made its way back to the United States, where pastry chefs are looking past cloyingly sweet treats smothered in chocolate sauce and ooey-gooey cookies that send you into a sugar coma.
From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025
Several years later, the Goelitz Confectionery Co., now Jelly Belly, began to produce candy corn, calling it Chicken Feed.
From Washington Times • Oct. 24, 2023
Confectionery soon disgusts the palate, whether you find it in Marcus Aurelius or Doctor Crane.
From The Haunted Bookshop by Morley, Christopher
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.
