vendor

American  

[ven-der, ven-dawr] / ˈvɛn dər, vɛnˈdɔr /

noun

• vendors
  plural

1. a person or agency that sells.

2. vending machine.

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vendor British  

/ ˈvɛndɔː, ˈvɛndə /

noun

1. law a person who sells something, esp real property

2. another name for vending machine

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Usage

What is a vendor? A vendor is a person or business that sells something, as in The school lunch really improved after it changed food vendors. A vendor is also a machine that dispenses items after you put money into it. It’s more often called a vending machine. Example: The vendor told me that the box has a scratch, so she’s selling it cheap.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• vendors
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of vendor

1585–95; < Anglo-French vendo ( u ) r < Latin venditor. See vend, -or ²

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Explanation

If you are a vendor, it means you’re a person selling something, whether it’s hot dogs from a food cart or computer software for a tech company. The word vendor comes from the Latin word vendere, meaning “to sell.” Vendor is a name for people who sell things on the street, such as a hot dog vendor, but it can describe those who sell any kind of goods or services, especially a specialized product. A store at the mall isn't usually called a vendor, but you could use the word to describe the person or group that supplies the store with special products or services.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vendor vendors

“If you ask Hospital A, Hospital B, or any federally qualified health center how they measure the accuracy of interpretation, they’ll all give you the same answer: We let the vendor tell us,” Patel said.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

He said we still could apply to receive public money this school year, but as a vendor providing educational services such as tutoring.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

"It's hitting my wallet hard!" said Anya Dmyterko, a 35-year-old vendor at the market in Boryspil, outside Kyiv.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Boricua culture, old and new, is celebrated in a charming image of a langosta vendor atop a horse and a portrait of Bad Bunny proudly performing in front of a flapping Puerto Rican flag.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

One day Mother came in from a walk with a handkerchief full of peanuts bought from a street vendor.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

His company is one of a small group of language-services vendors who have long provided translation services in medical settings, via video, phone, and in person.

From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026

Put another way, it’s about growing David’s in an “asset-light” way, one that serves brides by connecting them directly with vendors, Cook said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

DJ and party attendee Sarah Graves loves the queer vendors selling accessories, giving out harm-reduction materials, and zines, and the Piercings by Mire booth that frequently pops up at the rave.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026

Syleecia Thompson, a business professor at National University, said that "it hits small businesses, vendors, caterers and local communities".

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

Near the entrances, vendors sold treats from small kiosks.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau

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Related Words

• dealer
• hawker
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