supply chain

American  

[suh-plahy cheyn] / səˈplaɪ ˌtʃeɪn /

noun

supply chains plural

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

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• supply chains
  plural

Etymology

Origin of supply chain

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

supply chain

She added, however, that the company is warning investment in expanding its supply chain will weigh on profits for the rest of 2026 unless customer confidence improves.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Ultimately, the implications could extend across the entire AI supply chain.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

As major tech companies continue to expand their AI spending, the island has reaped the benefits of being a critical part of the AI supply chain, in large part thanks to chipmaking powerhouse TSMC.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

Aughinish said in a statement on Friday that its alumina had "no connection whatsoever to the Russian military supply chain".

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

Low-cost second-line antibiotics would soon be on their way to Russia, but at the moment the supply chain wasn’t working.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French