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

Restaurants and their customers like it because two-wheel deliveries can be faster than deliveries by car. —Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2026

When there is no war on, the shelter functions as a community center, complete with a Filipino church, a refugee health clinic, and retailers catering to customers in more than a dozen languages. —Theia Chatelle, Sun Sentinel, 27 Apr. 2026

Roku wants to give advertisers new ways of determining whether their commercials are really helping to spur purchases and other kinds of valuable customer behavior. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Apr. 2026

Tri-County Electric Cooperative reported about 8,000 customers without power Sunday morning. —Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Apr. 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