stockpile

American  

[stok-pahyl] / ˈstɒkˌpaɪl /

noun

1. a supply of material, as a pile of gravel in road maintenance.

2. a large supply of some metal, chemical, food, etc., gathered and held in reserve for use during a shortage or during a period of higher prices.

3. a quantity, as of munitions or weapons, accumulated for possible future use.

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verb (used with object)

stockpiled, stockpiling

1. to accumulate (material, goods, or the like) for future use; put or store in a stockpile.

verb (used without object)

stockpiled, stockpiling

1. to accumulate in a stockpile.

stockpile British  

/ ˈstɒkˌpaɪl /

verb

1. to acquire and store a large quantity of (something)

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noun

1. a large store or supply accumulated for future use

Other Word Forms

• stockpiler noun

Etymology

Origin of stockpile

First recorded in 1915–20; stock + pile ¹

Example Sentences

Claim: “They were also rapidly building a vast stockpile of conventional ballistic missiles and would have soon had missiles that could reach the American homeland, Europe, and virtually any other place on earth.”

From Slate • Apr. 2, 2026

Araghchi denied the claim, noting that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium—and therefore the number of atomic bombs it could theoretically fuel—had been a matter of public record for years.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

Vessel-tracking data since the Iran war started indicates that some of this oil is still arriving in China - though analysts disagree on the exact size of China's oil stockpile.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

For more nimble investors, commodity prices may find longer-term support and experience shallower pullbacks as supply disruptions encourage countries to stockpile strategic materials.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 17, 2026

Today, arms control agreements have lowered the global nuclear stockpile to about thirteen thousand, mostly in the hands of Russia and the United States.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

Related Words

• accumulation
• buildup
• cache
• hoard
• inventory
• nest egg
• reserve
• stash
• stock
• surplus