supply

[ suh-plahy ]

/ səˈplaɪ /

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See synonyms for: supply / supplied / supplies / supplying on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), sup·plied, sup·ply·ing.

to furnish or provide (a person, establishment, place, etc.) with what is lacking or requisite: to supply someone clothing; to supply a community with electricity.

to furnish or provide (something wanting or requisite): to supply electricity to a community.

to make up, compensate for, or satisfy (a deficiency, loss, need, etc.): The TVA supplied the need for cheap electricity.

to fill or occupy as a substitute, as a vacancy, a pulpit, etc.: During the summer local clergymen will supply the pulpit.

verb (used without object), sup·plied, sup·ply·ing.

to fill the place of another, especially the pulpit of a church, temporarily or as a substitute: Who will supply until the new minister arrives?

noun, plural sup·plies.

the act of supplying, furnishing, providing, satisfying, etc.: to begin the supply of household help.

something that is supplied: The storm cut off our water supply.

a quantity of something on hand or available, as for use; a stock or store: Did you see our new supply of shirts?

Usually supplies . a provision, stock, or store of food or other things necessary for maintenance: to lay in supplies for the winter.

Economics. the quantity of a commodity that is in the market and available for purchase or that is available for purchase at a particular price.

supplies, Military.

all items necessary for the equipment, maintenance, and operation of a military command, including food, clothing, arms, ammunition, fuel, materials, and machinery.
procurement, distribution, maintenance, and salvage of supplies.

a person who fills a vacancy or takes the place of another, especially temporarily.

supplies. Obsolete. reinforcement (def. 4).

Obsolete. aid.

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Origin of supply

1325–75; (v.) Middle English sup(p)lien<Middle French souplier, variant of soupleer ≪ Latin supplēre to fill up, equivalent to sup-sup- + plēre to fill (see full¹); (noun) late Middle English: aid, succor, derivative of the v.

OTHER WORDS FROM supply

sup·pli·er, nounun·sup·plied, adjectivewell-sup·plied, adjective

Words nearby supply

suppliancy, suppliant, supplicant, supplicate, supplication, supply, supply and demand, supply chain, supply-side, supply-side economics, supply-sider

Definition for supply (2 of 2)

supply²

[ suhp-lee ]

/ ˈsʌp li /

adverb

in a supple manner or way; supplely.

Origin of supply

First recorded in 1525–35; supple + -ly

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

VOCAB BUILDER

What is a basic definition of supply?

The word supply is used as a verb to mean to provide something. As a noun, supply refers to a stockpile or quantity of something. Supply has several other senses as a verb or a noun.

As a verb, supply means to give something. You might supply something in response to a request for that item, as when a clothing factory supplies a department store with new clothes in return for money. You might supply something that satisfies a need, as when plants supply us with oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Or you might supply something in order to make up for a deficiency, as when a food pantry supplies food for hungry people.

Real-life examples: A hydroelectric dam can supply a city with electricity. Soup kitchens supply impoverished people with food. Nature often supplies water and sunlight to plants.
Used in a sentence: The teacher supplied pencils and paper to the students.

As a noun, supply means an amount of something that has been stored up or stockpiled. For example, almost everyone keeps a supply of food in their house. The plural of supply is supplies and is used when more than one type of thing is being stored.

Real-life examples: Hospitals keep a supply of blood to use for emergencies. It is a good idea to keep an ample supply of toilet paper so you never run out. Soldiers are often given a lot of supplies to carry with them in case of problems.
Used in a sentence: The grocery story was running low on its supply of milk.

Where does supply come from?

The first records of the verb supply come from around 1325. It ultimately comes from the Latin verb supplēre, which means “to fill up.” The first records of the noun come from around 1420. It comes from the verb.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to supply?

supplier (noun)
unsupplied (adjective)
well-supplied (adjective)

What are some synonyms for supply?

What are some words that share a root or word element with supply?

What are some words that often get used in discussing supply?

How is supply used in real life?

Supply is a common word that means to give something or means a stored quantity of something.

The Indian Air Force to use HAMMER missiles to further boost the Rafale fighter aircrafts which are arriving in the country amid a dispute with China.

The order for the HAMMER missiles is under process and France has agreed to supply them at a short notice.

— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) July 23, 2020

CNN: The U.S. coronavirus death toll reached 18,693 on Friday evening, an increase of 2,009 deaths today, which is the most number of deaths in a single day.

This data is supplied by Johns Hopkins University.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 11, 2020

If there's one rule I believe in as an artist, it's this: keep a supply of tea and cupcakes on hand.

— Joe Hill (@joe_hill) August 1, 2012

Try using supply!

True or False?

If a bakery has a supply of milk, it means it doesn’t have any milk left.

Example sentences from the Web for supply

If you’re looking for a weatherproof, heavy-duty case with plenty of first aid supplies, this one’s for you.
The best first aid kits for staying safe and prepared|PopSci Commerce Team|September 4, 2020|Popular Science
It supplies Nreal with its Snapdragon processors, allowing the startup’s lightweight mixed reality glasses to easily plug into an Android phone.
Qualcomm-powered Chinese XR startup Nreal raises $40 million|Rita Liao|September 4, 2020|TechCrunch
“Despite a high self-sufficiency ratio for grains, the balance between the food demand and supply has been quite tight in recent years,” Si says.
Why Is China Cracking Down on Food Waste?|Daniel Malloy|September 3, 2020|Ozy
While the Covid-19 outbreak has hammered the global economy and disrupted supply chains, Apple is seeing strong demand for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers from people working and studying remotely.
Apple is prepping 75 million 5G iPhones for later this year|radmarya|September 1, 2020|Fortune

Greening that supply chain is crucial to the consumer electronics giant’s goal, announced in July, to have a net zero carbon footprint by 2030.
Apple is leading the charge to overhaul Taiwan’s renewable energy market|Tim McDonnell|August 31, 2020|Quartz
Fluoride first entered an American water supply through a rather inelegant technocratic scheme.
Anti-Fluoriders Are The OG Anti-Vaxxers|Michael Schulson|July 27, 2016|DAILY BEAST
But the qualities Mario Cuomo brought to public life—compassion, integrity, commitment to principle—remain in short supply today.
President Cuomo Would’ve Been a Lion|Jonathan Alter|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
If you answered seven or more of these correctly, you are eligible for a lifetime supply of Metamucil.
The World’s Toughest Political Quiz|Jeff Greenfield|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In Mosul, foreign fighters have left, the city is flooded with refugees and supply routes are cut off.
Has the Kurdish Victory at Sinjar Turned the Tide of ISIS War?|Niqash|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It would seek to cut off the main Allied lines of supply and communication.
Hitler’s Hail Mary|James A. Warren|December 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
First, how about the expansibility needed to supply adequate funds for crop-moving?
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
What course was taken to supply that assembly when any noble family became extinct?
Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
You see, I am the city undertaker, and the people are dying here so fast, that I can hardly supply the demand for coffins.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun;|Various
Almost one-quarter of the total supply printed has been placed in circulation.
Readings in Money and Banking|Chester Arthur Phillips
The increased volume of the supply thus produced inevitably forces down the price till it sinks to the point of cost.
The Unsolved Riddle of Social Justice|Stephen Leacock

British Dictionary definitions for supply (1 of 2)

supply¹

/ (səˈplaɪ) /

verb -plies, -plying or -plied

(tr often foll by with) to furnish with something that is requiredto supply the community with good government

(tr; often foll by to or for) to make available or provide (something that is desired or lacking)to supply books to the library

(tr) to provide for adequately; make good; satisfywho will supply their needs?

to serve as a substitute, usually temporary, in (another's position, etc)there are no clergymen to supply the pulpit

(tr) British to fill (a vacancy, position, etc)

noun plural -plies

the act of providing or something that is provided
(as modifier)a supply dump

(often plural) an amount available for use; stock

(plural) food, equipment, etc, needed for a campaign or trip

economics

willingness and ability to offer goods and services for sale
the amount of a commodity that producers are willing and able to offer for sale at a specified priceCompare demand (def. 9)

military

the management and disposal of food and equipment
(as modifier)supply routes

(often plural) a grant of money voted by a legislature for government expenses, esp those not covered by other revenues

(in Parliament and similar legislatures) the money voted annually for the expenses of the civil service and armed forces

a person who acts as a temporary substitute
(as modifier)a supply vicar

a source of electrical energy, gas, etc

obsolete aid or assistance

Derived forms of supply

suppliable, adjectivesupplier, noun

Word Origin for supply

C14: from Old French souppleier, from Latin supplēre to complete, from sub- up + plēre to fill

British Dictionary definitions for supply (2 of 2)

supply²

supplely (ˈsʌpəlɪ)

/ (ˈsʌplɪ) /

adverb

in a supple manner

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for supply

supply

The amount of any given commodity available for sale at a given time.

Idioms and Phrases with supply

supply

see in short supply.

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supply

verb (used with object), sup·plied, sup·ply·ing.