grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-rē 

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē 

plural groceries

1

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

2

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

If your grocery bill already feels high, laundry detergent is one of those sneaky household costs that quietly drains your budget week after week. —Ryan Brennan may 13, Kansas City Star, 13 May 2026

That uptick, which has been driven, in part, by the conflict in Iran, pushed up energy costs and drove up prices on everything from gasoline to groceries. —CBS News, 13 May 2026

The center provides students with free groceries, clothes, toiletries, parenting supplies and additional emergency resources. —Tarini Mehta, Sacbee.com, 13 May 2026

In between sips of craft beer, patrons walk around a silent auction put on by Juntos Podemos, a volunteer mutual aid group that helps immigrants with groceries and rent. —Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 13 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grocery

• do (one's) grocery shopping
• go grocery shopping
• grocery bag
• grocery cart
• grocery list
• grocery store

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Kids Definition

grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-(ə-)rē 

plural groceries

1

plural : food sold by a grocer

went out to buy the groceries

2

: a grocer's store