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

Kori Farmer shops for free groceries at The Grocery Spot in northwest Atlanta. — Jamal Goss, CBS News, 20 Aug. 2026

Gig and on-demand work, including food and grocery delivery, ridesharing, babysitting and pet sitting, was the most common form of side work among respondents. — Tatiana Sataua, Fortune, 20 Aug. 2026

Seniors and residents with disabilities warned the council that losing On-Demand service would strand people who rely on it for medical appointments, grocery trips and social contact. — Noah Daly august 20, Idaho Statesman, 20 Aug. 2026

While its grocery segment saw mid-single-digit percentage point growth, health and wellness saw a low single-digit decline for the quarter. — Laya Neelakandan, CNBC, 20 Aug. 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