supermarket
Americannoun
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a large retail market that sells food and other household goods and that is usually operated on a self-service basis.
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any business or company offering an unusually wide range of goods or services.
a financial supermarket that sells stocks, bonds, insurance, and real estate.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of supermarket
Explanation
A supermarket is a store that sells groceries and other goods. Although supermarkets are primarily places to buy food, nowadays you can find everything from shampoo to toys to bestselling novels at a large supermarket. The distinguishing characteristics of a supermarket are that it sells food and household products, and that shoppers serve themselves, often pushing grocery carts and filling them with items. Though some people think of supermarkets as being much larger than grocery stores, others use the two terms interchangeably. This American-coined word first appeared in print in the early 1930s.
Vocabulary lists containing supermarket
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Nelson Eusebio, director of government affairs at the National Supermarket Association, said his group would like to see shoplifting drop further, especially in the Bronx, which continues to struggle with organized theft rings.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
Supermarket chain Spar separately confirmed the recall, saying customers would be able to return affected products in exchange for a full refund.
From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026
Supermarket operator Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs and Food 4 Less, last year decided to close more than 60 stores nationwide amid labor unrest and a failed merger with Albertsons.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2026
Supermarket chain Kroger is set to report third-quarter earnings on Thursday before the market opens.
From Barron's • Dec. 3, 2025
“You know I can’t waste any gas coming back to pick you up, right? The only way I could justify the trip to J & H Supermarket was the sale on beef.”
From "The Benefits of Being an Octopus" by Ann Braden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
