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• sale
  sale

  noun

  the act of selling.
• Sale
  Sale

  noun

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

  noun

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

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

Derived Forms

• nonsale
  noun
• subsale
  noun
• intersale
  noun

Etymology

Origin of sale

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

For the previous three seasons, Sale Sharks have flown the flag as the northern powerhouse of English club rugby.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

The CorpAcq Stadium has been a source of strength for Sale, but this season they lost more games there than they won.

From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026

"I think there's a very positive future ahead," said Smith, who is moving to Sale next season.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Milessa Michelson, the co-founder and lead organizer for Altadena Not for Sale, said she was happy for the people on Laurel Drive but thought that Ocean Development’s projects might not be as welcomed everywhere.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2026

They met head on It was just a half mile along them tracks, down by that stand of timber on the way to Sale Crick.”

From "A Long Way from Chicago" by Richard Peck

Related Words

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