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supply chain

American  
[suh-plahy cheyn] / səˈplaɪ ˌtʃeɪn /

noun

  1. the series of growers, manufacturers, distributors, shippers, etc., involved in producing goods of a particular kind and bringing them to market.

    A typical supply chain from fiber to garment has up to seven players spread across the globe—more, if processes like dyeing or printing are subcontracted.


supply chain British  

noun

  1. marketing a channel of distribution beginning with the supplier of materials or components, extending through a manufacturing process to the distributor and retailer, and ultimately to the consumer

"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

Etymology

Origin of supply chain

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

The U.S. and Canada have an intertwined supply chain, where car parts and vehicles move with ease under trade pacts first enacted three decades ago.

From The Wall Street Journal

“To mitigate challenges in our export supply chain, we have to make them more and more resilient,” said Rajesh Agrawal, India’s commerce secretary, earlier this month.

From The Wall Street Journal

His job as a commercial assistant involves managing contracts in the Hinkley C supply chain, and brings him to the site for one week a month.

From BBC

It should instead urge HUD to use its existing tools to expedite consideration of targeted waivers to identify genuine supply chain gaps, without sacrificing American jobs.

From Barron's

Among exporters, Goldman sees increasing importance to “competitive differentiation”: Taiwan’s cutting-edge semiconductor technology, India’s services exports, or a critical role in China’s supply chains—such as Indonesia in the battery supply chain.

From Barron's