wholesale

American  

[hohl-seyl] / ˈhoʊlˌseɪl /

noun

wholesales plural

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

wholesales, present (3rd person singular) wholesaled, past participle, past wholesaling present participle

1. to sell by wholesale.

wholesale British  

/ 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 Cultural  

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

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• wholesaler
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• wholesales
  plural

Participles

• wholesaling
  present
• wholesaled
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• wholesale
  simple
• wholesales
  simple
• have wholesaled
  perfect
• has wholesaled
  perfect
• am wholesaling
  progressive
• are wholesaling
  progressive
• is wholesaling
  progressive
• have been wholesaling
  perfect progressive
• has been wholesaling
  perfect progressive

Past

• wholesaled
  simple
• had wholesaled
  perfect
• was wholesaling
  progressive
• were wholesaling
  progressive
• had been wholesaling
  perfect progressive

Future

• will wholesale
  simple
• will have wholesaled
  perfect
• will be wholesaling
  progressive
• will have been wholesaling
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of wholesale

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

Explanation

Use the adjective wholesale to describe something that's done on a big, broad scale, like wholesale changes made by a new government that affect an entire country. It's pretty common to see the phrase "wholesale destruction," especially when historians are talking about the overwhelming effects of war or ecological disasters. When wholesale is a verb, it has a very different meaning — to sell things in bulk, usually to someone who is going to sell it again at a higher retail price. The earliest meaning of the word was "in large quantities," combining whole and sale into the phrase "by whole sale."

Example Sentences

The company said that the rise is due to the "continued volatility" in wholesale energy markets along with geopolitical tensions and sustained pressures across the energy market.

From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026

A spokesperson for Rubis said if wholesale prices continued to fall it expected "to see further reductions passed on over time".

From BBC • Jul. 6, 2026

Utilities would have to cover any power shortages with wholesale purchases, passing on those higher costs to customers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

While others help her with production, wholesale management and packaging, she focuses on sales, content and all-new product development.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 1, 2026

Rut wordless conditioning is crude and wholesale; cannot bring home the finer distinctions, cannot inculcate the more complex courses of behaviour.

From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley

Related Words

• extensive
• indiscriminate
• large-scale
• sweeping