inventory
Americannoun
plural
inventories-
a complete listing of merchandise or stock on hand, work in progress, raw materials, finished goods on hand, etc., made each year by a business concern.
-
the objects or items represented on such a list, as a merchant's stock of goods.
-
the aggregate value of a stock of goods.
-
raw material from the time of its receipt at an industrial plant for manufacturing purposes to the time it is sold.
-
a detailed, often descriptive, list of articles, giving the code number, quantity, and value of each; catalog.
-
a formal list of movables, as of a merchant's stock of goods.
-
a formal list of the property of a person or estate.
-
a tally of one's personality traits, aptitudes, skills, etc., for use in counseling and guidance.
-
a catalog of natural resources, especially a count or estimate of wildlife and game in a particular area.
-
the act of making a catalog or detailed listing.
verb (used with object)
-
to make an inventory of; enter in an inventory; catalog.
-
to take stock of; evaluate.
to inventory one's life and accomplishments.
-
to summarize.
to inventory the progress in chemistry.
-
to keep an available supply of (merchandise); stock.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a detailed list of articles, goods, property, etc
-
(often plural) accounting
-
the amount or value of a firm's current assets that consist of raw materials, work in progress, and finished goods; stock
-
such assets individually
-
verb
Usage
What does inventory mean? An inventory is a complete list of all merchandise or stock of items owned by or available from a business.At a store, an inventory is the complete list of all items for sale at the store. At a manufacturer, an inventory is a complete list of all the raw materials they have, as well as finished items and items being created.An inventory is also the specific set of products to sell, as in The store’s inventory of superhero capes is running low and will probably sell out soon.An inventory can also refer to figurative belongings, such as a person’s personality traits and skills.To inventory means to add things to an inventory list, whether a literal or figurative list, as in I inventoried my options for colleges and chose the school I’ll attend next year.Example: Can you take inventory tonight so we can be ready for the rush tomorrow?
Related Words
See list 1.
Other Word Forms
- inventoriable adjective
- inventorial adjective
- inventorially adverb
- overinventoried adjective
- preinventory noun
Etymology
Origin of inventory
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English inventorie, from Medieval Latin inventōrium; invent, -tory 2
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.
BofA’s Arya observed that as inventories normalize across sectors like aerospace and defense, companies are once again placing new orders to replenish supplies.
From MarketWatch
Last year, speculation around potential tariffs on the metal sent buyers stocking up on silver in the U.S., taking inventory out of London, where global benchmark prices are set.
He is now working on selling the remainder of his inventory rather than continuing production while he plans his next steps.
From Barron's
Pham said he belongs to a regional dealer network in which members alert one another when burglaries happen nearby, sharing suspect descriptions and stolen inventory lists.
From Los Angeles Times
Her inventory was running low recently, forcing her to put in a big order before the court’s decision without knowing what it would be.
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.
