caterer

American  

[key-ter-er] / ˈkeɪ tər ər /

noun

• caterers
  plural

1. one whose business is to provide food, supplies, and sometimes service at social gatherings.

2. one who caters.

---

caterer British  

/ ˈkeɪtərə /

noun

1. a person who caters, esp one who as a profession provides food for large social events, etc

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• caterers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of caterer

First recorded in 1585–95; cater + -er ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caterer caterers

But while much of the food might be gloriously Gallic, Jean-Pierre, the Lanton caterer, insisted that the rush to feed the firefighters was not an exclusively French phenomenon.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

Pizza popped up as often as pate on plates, while one caterer from La Reunion has won social media adulation for his gifts of cari, a spicy dish popular on the Indian Ocean island.

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

It’s just days before the wedding, and as the caterer gently pleads, a “yes” has to be absolutely final this time around.

From Salon ● Apr. 3, 2026

Marler said he obtained invoices from a St. Louis caterer listing Taylor Farms as its seller.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 24, 2025

He says he is not sensitive to class distinctions, but he admits he was bothered when some people mistook him for the caterer at fund-raising dinners for the local Greek church he helped build.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

“Delivery trucks, caterers, and florists were given limited information until the last minute.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

“Studio lots like this one used to be filled with people, costumers, electricians, set medics, caterers, thousands of Angelenos making a living,” she says in the video posted on social media.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 17, 2026

The company changed its name to Restaurant Depot in the 1990s and started serving more food operators across the U.S. including caterers, pizzerias and delis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026

Back on the streets of Lakemba last week, Kheir was calmly coordinating the mass Iftar, liaising with caterers as they ran back and forth replenishing food such as falafel, fattoush, chicken and rice.

From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2026

There were caterers offering bite-sized quiches and poached eggs in puddles of velvety hollandaise.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng