distributor

American  

[dih-strib-yuh-ter] / dɪˈstrɪb yə tər /

Or distributer

noun

1. a person or thing that distributes.

2. Commerce.

   1. a person, firm, etc., engaged in the general distribution or marketing of some article or class of goods.

   2. a wholesaler who has exclusive rights to market, within a given territory, the goods of a manufacturer or company.

3. Automotive, Machinery. a device in a multicylinder engine that distributes the igniting voltage to the spark plugs in a definite sequence.

4. Printing.

   1. (in a press) one of the rollers for spreading ink on the table, rolling it to a proper consistency, and transferring it to rollers that ink the form or plate.

   2. Also called distributor bar.  (in a Linotype) a bar with keylike cuts along its length, for sorting matrices into their proper magazines after type has been cast.

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distributor British  

/ dɪˈstrɪbjʊtə /

noun

1. a person or thing that distributes

2. a wholesaler or middleman engaged in the distribution of a category of goods, esp to retailers in a specific area

3. the device in a petrol engine that distributes the high-tension voltage to the sparking plugs in the sequence of the firing order

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Other Word Forms

• subdistributor noun
• underdistributor noun

Etymology

Origin of distributor

From the Late Latin word distribūtor, dating back to 1520–30. See distribute, -tor

Explanation

It's great that you've got something amazing to sell, but without a distributor you're not going to be able to get it to the people who want to buy it. To distribute it, you need a distributor. A dealer at a card table is as much a distributor as is the Coca-Cola Bottling Company. Both of them share the job of getting their product into the hands of the folks who want it. Whether you're handing out a dozen flyers on the street or shipping a million books to shoppers nationwide, you're a distributor. In the world of electrical engineering, a distributor is a device that sends an electrical current from one contact to another. It distributes the electricity, just like that dealer dealing cards.

Example Sentences

Mubi spent $12 million in 2024 to buy “The Substance” after its original distributor, Universal Pictures, got cold feet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The awards show’s 99th and 100th iterations will be its last hurrahs with longtime distributor ABC before a move to YouTube.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

The wholesale restaurant food distributor struck a deal to acquire Jetro Restaurant Depot for around $29 billion, including debt.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Costco also happens to be a major distributor for Celsius energy drinks, with the retailer accounting for about 11% of Celsius’ total revenue last year.

From Barron's • Mar. 26, 2026

Stan then arranged for me to get three Maxply rackets from a Wilson distributor in downtown Johannesburg.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane

Related Words

• dealer
• trader