sale

American  

[seyl] / seɪl /

noun

1. the act of selling.

2. a quantity sold.

3. opportunity to sell; demand.

   slow sale.

4. a special disposal of goods, as at reduced prices.

5. transfer of property for money or credit.

6. an auction.

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idioms

1. on sale, able to be bought at reduced prices.

2. for sale, offered to be sold; made available to purchasers.

sale ¹ British  

/ seɪl /

noun

1. the exchange of goods, property, or services for an agreed sum of money or credit

2. the amount sold

3. the opportunity to sell; market

   there was no sale for luxuries

4. the rate of selling or being sold

   a slow sale of synthetic fabrics

5. 1. an event at which goods are sold at reduced prices, usually to clear old stocks

   2. ( as modifier )

      sale bargains

6. an auction

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Sale ² British  

/ seɪl /

noun

1. a town in NW England, in Trafford unitary authority, Greater Manchester: a residential suburb of Manchester. Pop: 55 234 (2001)

2. a city in SE Australia, in SE Victoria: centre of an agricultural region. Pop: 12 854 (2001)

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Salé ³ British  

/ sale /

noun

1. a port in NW Morocco, on the Atlantic adjoining Rabat. Pop: 880 000 (2003)

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sale More Idioms  

1. see close the sale; on sale; white sale.

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Other Word Forms

• intersale noun
• nonsale noun
• subsale noun

Etymology

Origin of sale

First recorded before 1050; Middle English; late Old English sala; cognate with Old Norse, Old High German sala; sell ¹

Explanation

A sale is what occurs whenever an object or service is given in return for a payment of money. The sale of your old bike will happen more quickly if you price it at $50 instead of $500. You can talk about the sale of your next door neighbor's house, and you can also describe the house as "for sale," or available to be purchased. When a store has a sale, it means goods temporarily cost less than usual — you can also say that things at that store are "on sale." The word sale comes from the Old English sala, from a Germanic root.

Example Sentences

“They’re painting the whole sector with the same brush, and I think that’s been the opportunity to buy some of the winners at garage sale prices,” Ives says.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026

Globalstar’s stock had more than tripled in value over the past 12 months, driven by an Apple investment and sale speculation.

From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026

The watch then stayed in Richardson's family for almost a century before first being offered for sale in 2003.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

The baseline regression estimates the relationship between the average annual return on a house sale and the seller’s age.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

I’ve brought her chicken—there was a sale this week on chicken thighs.

From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz

Related Words

• auction
• business
• buying
• deal
• demand
• marketing
• purchase
• reduction
• selling
• trade
• transaction