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; see customary
Explanation
A customer is anyone paying for a good or service. Without customers, businesses would go out of business. When you're paying for just about anything, you're a customer. People shopping at the grocery store, sitting in coffee shops, going to movies, and buying DVDs online are all customers. The point of advertising is to drum up new customers for a business. There's a cliché that "The customer is always right," which is obviously not true, but shows how businesses try to make customers happy. They'd better. Without customers, any business is in deep trouble.
Vocabulary lists containing customer
Business, List 1
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Unit 17, Lesson 2
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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.
In contrast, although Explosive Media says that it operates independently from the Iranian government, a representative recently told the BBC that the regime is a customer.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
A manager in the customer services team listened to the recorded call and flagged concerns about the councillor's "unnecessary" tone, prompting a probe.
From BBC • Apr. 26, 2026
A prospective buyer recently sought to trade in a Ford F-150 Lightning for a Mercedes GLE Coupe, but that potential customer owed about $87,000 on the pickup truck.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026
I psyched myself up to argue and dialed the customer service number on the back of the bill.
From Slate • Apr. 25, 2026
She finishes helping a customer, then waves us into the staff room.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
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.
