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

In 2022, Misfits acquired competitor Imperfect Foods and eventually expanded into full grocery offerings that also include pantry items, snacks, meat, seafood, dairy, coffee, fresh food, wellness products and more. —Jess Cording, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

Continue reading … AMERICAN CULTURE QUIZ — Test yourself on grocery giants and Lincoln landmarks. —FOXNews.com, 27 May 2026

Major grocery chains have been trying to hold the line on pricing. —Bloomberg, Oc Register, 27 May 2026

Yet while cheesemongers in Europe are hired in Michelin star restaurants and to cater royal functions, cheesemongers in America largely toil behind grocery counters making minimum wage. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 27 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