wholesale

[hohl-seyl]

noun

1. the sale of goods in quantity, as to retailers or jobbers, for resale (retail ).

adjective

1. of, relating to, or engaged in sale by wholesale.

2. extensive; broadly indiscriminate.

   wholesale discharge of workers.

   Synonyms: promiscuous, undiscriminating, inclusive, thorough, comprehensive, far-reaching

adverb

1. in a wholesale way; on wholesale terms.

   I can get it for you wholesale.

2. in large quantities; on a large scale, especially without discrimination.

   Wild horses were slaughtered wholesale.

verb (used with or without object)

wholesaled, wholesaling 

1. to sell by wholesale.

wholesale

/ ˈhəʊlˌseɪl /

noun

1. the business of selling goods to retailers in larger quantities than they are sold to final consumers but in smaller quantities than they are purchased from manufacturers Compare retail

2. 1. in large quantities

   2. at wholesale prices

adjective

1. of, relating to, or engaged in such business

2. made, done, etc, on a large scale or without discrimination

adverb

1. on a large scale or without discrimination

verb

1. to sell (goods) at wholesale

wholesale

1. The sale of merchandise to retailers rather than directly to the public.

Other Word Forms

• wholesaler noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of wholesale¹

1375–1425; late Middle English, from the phrase by hole sale in gross; whole, sale

Example Sentences

Consumer costs won’t rise as much as wholesale prices, because there are several other factors impacting bills, and utilities often pass the costs along gradually.

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Lukoil is the dominant force in Bulgaria's wholesale fuel market as well as in sales to end-customers owing to its large network of petrol stations.

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Businesses are unable to make up for rising wholesale costs by hiking up prices, he said.

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The forecaster, widely respected for the accuracy of its predictions, said the main driver of energy bills was shifting from sky-high wholesale prices to the cost of overhauling and maintaining the country's energy networks.

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You don’t need to exit your positions wholesale, but consider trimming them and rotating into small- and mid-cap stocks, says Paul Stanley, chief investment officer of Granite Bay Wealth Management in Portsmouth, N.H.

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Related Words

• extensive 
• indiscriminate 
• large-scale 
• sweeping