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

As convenience store formats encroach on grocery and superstore territory in both size and assortment, chains need to consider how to maximize their popularity without creating excessive additional competition. — Kevin Williams, CNBC, 2 July 2026

How Walmart+ grocery delivery works The grocery perks are incredibly straightforward, focusing heavily on convenience and price transparency. — Rachel Cortez, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Just pick a few up during your usual weekly grocery shopping. — Aly Walansky, Southern Living, 2 July 2026

That concern seems especially true at a time when many everyday Americans face real-time, real-world concerns like higher grocery and gas prices and rising housing and education costs. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 July 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