inventory

American  

[in-vuhn-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee] / ˈɪn vənˌtɔr i, -ˌtoʊr i /

noun

plural

inventories

1. 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.

2. the objects or items represented on such a list, as a merchant's stock of goods.

3. the aggregate value of a stock of goods.

4. raw material from the time of its receipt at an industrial plant for manufacturing purposes to the time it is sold.

5. a detailed, often descriptive, list of articles, giving the code number, quantity, and value of each; catalog.

   Synonyms:

   account, register, record, roster

6. a formal list of movables, as of a merchant's stock of goods.

7. a formal list of the property of a person or estate.

8. a tally of one's personality traits, aptitudes, skills, etc., for use in counseling and guidance.

9. a catalog of natural resources, especially a count or estimate of wildlife and game in a particular area.

10. the act of making a catalog or detailed listing.

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verb (used with object)

inventoried, inventorying

1. to make an inventory of; enter in an inventory; catalog.

2. to take stock of; evaluate.

   to inventory one's life and accomplishments.

3. to summarize.

   to inventory the progress in chemistry.

4. to keep an available supply of (merchandise); stock.

verb (used without object)

inventoried, inventorying

1. to have value as shown by an inventory.

   stock that inventories at two million dollars.

inventory British  

/ -trɪ, ˈɪnvəntərɪ /

noun

1. a detailed list of articles, goods, property, etc

2. (often plural) accounting

   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

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verb

1. (tr) to enter (items) in an inventory; make a list of

inventory Cultural  

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

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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

Within days, inventory systems may no longer match what is actually on shelves.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

They help forecast demand, optimize planting, prioritize shipments, and manage inventory.

From Science Daily • Apr. 5, 2026

And while AI-based shopping is still a niche practice, some retailers are giving their inventory descriptions another look to make sure their products are AI-ready if and when more shoppers arrive.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 4, 2026

Kumar said that Diamondback is widely seen as a leader in the U.S. shale industry, due to the depth and quality of its inventory.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

I pulled up my avatar’s inventory display, which appeared as a classic “paper doll” diagram of my avatar, onto which I could drag and drop various items and pieces of equipment.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• backlog
• fund
• index
• reserve
• stockpile
• supply