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inventory

[ in-vuhn-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee ]
/ ˈɪn vənˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /
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See synonyms for: inventory / inventoried / inventories / inventorying on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural in·ven·to·ries.
verb (used with object), in·ven·to·ried, in·ven·to·ry·ing.
verb (used without object), in·ven·to·ried, in·ven·to·ry·ing.
to have value as shown by an inventory: stock that inventories at two million dollars.
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Origin of inventory

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English inventorie, from Medieval Latin inventōrium; see invent, -tory2

synonym study for inventory

5. See list1.

OTHER WORDS FROM inventory

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

MORE ABOUT INVENTORY

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?

Where does inventory come from?

The first records of the term inventory come from around the 1300s. It ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin inventōrium.

You’ve probably seen inventory used in computer gaming, where your inventory is the place where you can keep track of the materials you’ve collected while playing the game. Often, the inventory holds items that you use to enhance your performance, build or craft something, or customize your character. The first video game to have an inventory system was “The Oregon Trail” in 1971, which tasked players with traveling from Missouri to Oregon in an 1800s wagon caravan, picking up food, tools, rope, and the like to add to their inventory along the way.

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What are some other forms related to inventory?

  • inventoriable (adjective)
  • inventorial (adjective)
  • inventorially (adverb)
  • overinventoried (adjective)
  • preinventory (noun)

What are some synonyms for inventory?

What are some words that share a root or word element with inventory

What are some words that often get used in discussing inventory?

How is inventory used in real life?

Inventory is mostly used in a business context.

 

Try using inventory!

Which of the following is NOT a synonym for inventory?

A. debt
B. supply
C. reserve
D. backlog

How to use inventory in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inventory

inventory
/ (ˈɪnvəntərɪ, -trɪ) /

noun
a detailed list of articles, goods, property, etc
(often plural) accounting, mainly US
  1. the amount or value of a firm's current assets that consist of raw materials, work in progress, and finished goods; stock
  2. such assets individually
verb -tories, -torying or -toried
(tr) to enter (items) in an inventory; make a list of

Derived forms of inventory

inventoriable, adjectiveinventorial, adjectiveinventorially, adverb

Word Origin for inventory

C16: from Medieval Latin inventōrium; see invent
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for inventory

inventory

An itemized list of a firm's goods that have not yet been sold.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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