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

• account
• client
• guest
• patron
• punter [chiefly British]

Examples of customer in a Sentence

She is one of our best customers.

She's a pretty cool customer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Offer fast and efficient shipping and returns, and be responsive to customer inquiries. —Karan Sharma, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024

To claim the offer, customers should order ahead on bk.com or the BK app, and a Royal Perks account is required. —Rachel Raposas, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Olivia Heller/The Hustle Because most malls relied on these anchor tenants to draw customers, the rise of big box stores as a replacement for the department stores meant the malls — and the specialty retailers inside them — faced financial problems of their own. —Mark Dent, thehustle.co, 6 Dec. 2024

Experts believe that the focus on ancillary revenue by travel companies is negatively impacting customer satisfaction. —Christopher Elliott, USA TODAY, 6 Dec. 2024

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
• 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