customer
Americannoun
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a person who purchases goods or services from another; buyer; patron.
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Informal. a person one has to deal with.
a tough customer; a cool customer.
noun
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a person who buys
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informal a person with whom one has dealings
a cool customer
Etymology
Origin of customer
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; custom + -er 1; compare Middle English customer “collector of customs,” from Anglo-French; Old French costumier, cognate with Medieval Latin custumārius; customary
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 provides sales, marketing and customer service tools for business-to-business companies.
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
Activities in support of delivery of care, like payment transactions, back-office corporate and customer service.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
Amazon — which is the USPS’s biggest customer, accounting for 1 billion packages shipped annually — had threatened to slash its deliveries through the Postal Service by two-thirds or more, Reuters reported.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026
The bank is partnering with Robinhood to tap its design and technology know-how to develop a Trump Accounts app and provide customer service, according to the department.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 6, 2026
He presented it to the stern customer with a smile.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
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.
