stockpile

1 of 2

noun

stock·​pile ˈstäk-ˌpī(-ə)l How to pronounce stockpile (audio)
: a storage pile: such as
a
: a reserve supply of something essential accumulated within a country for use during a shortage
b
: a gradually accumulated reserve of something
… avert stockpiles of unsold cars.Bert Pierce

stockpile

2 of 2

verb

stockpiled; stockpiling; stockpiles

transitive verb

1
: to place or store in or on a stockpile
2
: to accumulate a stockpile of
a country suspected of stockpiling weapons
stockpiler noun

Examples of stockpile in a Sentence

Noun a stockpile of medical supplies an emergency stockpile of potable water and canned goods in the cellar Verb The government stockpiled vaccines to prepare for a flu epidemic. we should be able to stockpile enough vaccine for the upcoming flu season
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
About 9,614 were in military stockpiles for potential use, including 3,912 that are currently deployed. Ryan Chan, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025 D’Amato says the Greater Boston Food Bank, which distributes resources to pantries across Massachusetts, is continuously assessing its stockpiles and the needs of its partners amid this fraught time. Callum Sutherland, Time, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
Rainwater tends to stockpile on the edges of roads. Nc Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 10 Nov. 2025 Russia spent many years stockpiling over $640 billion in central bank reserves before the full-scale invasion in order to ride out any Western response, and currently only half of that amount is subject to sanctions. Suriya Jayanti, Time, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for stockpile

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1872, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stockpile was in 1872

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stockpile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stockpile. Accessed 15 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

stockpile

noun
stock·​pile
ˈstäk-ˌpīl
: an extra supply especially of something necessary accumulated within a country for use during a shortage
stockpile verb

More from Merriam-Webster on stockpile

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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