customer

noun

cus·​tom·​er ˈkə-stə-mər 

1

: one that purchases a commodity or service

The customer used a credit card for the purchase.

2

: an individual usually having some specified distinctive trait

a real tough customer

… let me give you the advice of an old and world-weary customer.

—Flannery O'Connor

Synonyms of customer

• client
• patron
• guest

Examples of customer in a Sentence

She is one of our best customers.

She's a pretty cool customer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Because Twilio charges based on usage, her team focused on how customer volumes were trending. —Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 15 June 2026

Last week, after surviving nine treacherous months as Cracker Barrel's leader, Masino was able to share great news with investors –– customers are returning for their favorite foods, pancake deals and the comfort of Uncle Herschel leaning on a barrel. —Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 15 June 2026

What the Company Actually Does The company develops the infrastructure for clients directly, including store setup, automated systems, customer support integration, inventory management, and operational tools designed to simplify the process for first-time business owners. —Malana Vantyler, USA Today, 15 June 2026

Anne Arundel County reported the highest number of customers affected, with 595 without power across 34 outages. —Wbff Staff, Baltimore Sun, 15 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English custumer, from custume — see custom entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing customer

• cool customer
• customer base
• customer service
• paying customer
• regular customer

Kids Definition

customer

noun

cus·​tom·​er ˈkəs-tə-mər 

1

: one that buys a product or service

2

: individual entry 2 sense 2, fellow

he's a real tough customer

Legal Definition

customer

noun

cus·​to·​mer

1

: a person or business that purchases a commodity or service

2

a

: a person or entity having an account with a bank or on whose behalf the bank has agreed to collect items

b

: a person or entity for whom an issuer issues a letter of credit