shopping

American  

[shop-ing] / ˈʃɒp ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person who shops.

2. the facilities or merchandise available to those who shop.

   Chicago has good shopping.

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adjective

1. of, for, or pertaining to examining and buying merchandise.

   a shopping trip.

shopping British  

/ ˈʃɒpɪŋ /

noun

1. a number or collection of articles purchased

2. the act or an instance of making purchases

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Etymology

Origin of shopping

First recorded in 1755–65; shop + -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

Shopping malls across Southern California have also struggled to bring sales back as immigration raids continue to scare customers away.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026

Weston Favell Shopping Centre plans to continue working with Trovr and the Wombles to also expand rewards in the coming months.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

Those email promos are too good at winning over consumers — 72% of online shoppers have made an impulse purchase after seeing an advertised discount, according to Capital One Shopping.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Shopping malls, usually also draped in dazzling displays, were asked to stop the lighting.

From Barron's • Mar. 9, 2026

Colin had wondered whether maybe Hollis just watched the Home Shopping Network all day and left other people to run the business, but obviously she did work.

From "An Abundance of Katherines" by John Green

Related Words

• browsing
• e-commerce
• spending