office supply

noun

plural office supplies
1
a
: a physical resource (such as a writing implement, fastener, folder, paper, ink, etc.) that is needed for working in an office
usually plural
All these jobs, as I see them, would require a full complement of office supplies: every conceivable kind of clip and clasp, name-brand ball-point pens, … bottles of correction fluid, ammo-like refills for various desktop mechanisms, and cool, smooth, hard pads of narrow-lined paper.David Owen
[Arthur] Fry, who came up with the idea …, says his life has changed little despite the success of Post-its, which are a best-seller among office supplies.Rahul Jacob
ODP sells office supplies; office furniture; technology products and services; cleaning, breakroom and facilities products; business machines and related supplies; and personal protective equipment at more than 800 Office Depot and OfficeMax stores and online.David Elman
usually singular before another noun
an office supply store/business/dealer
b
: a business that sells office supplies
Main Street Office Supply
2
: the amount of commercial real estate available for use as office space in a particular area
Office transactions in Manhattan have slowed dramatically as remote work and cost-cutting measures reduce demand for space. Nearly a fifth of the city's office supply is available for rent …Natalie Wong

Examples of office supply in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even the drawers had stationery and office supplies. Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 May 2026 Most of the items were classified as office supplies, and about half had receipts. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 11 May 2026 That role is filled now by Mike Motz, who previously ran office supply chain Staples. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 6 May 2026 Earn 3% cash back on eligible purchases at gas and EV charging stations (transactions of $200 or less)*, office supply stores, cell phone service providers and restaurants (*excludes discount stores/supercenters and wholesale clubs). Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 28 Apr. 2026 Once an emporium of Mylar balloons, plastic tablecloths, and Mardi Gras beads, Party City is making a comeback in Rhode Island and across the country – inside a familiar office supply store. Bailey Allen, Telegram & Gazette, 27 Apr. 2026 In a department built to respond to catastrophic threats, employees have been reduced to bartering for office supplies. Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026 Reuse cardboard drink holders to organize small items like office supplies, cords, or even fruit. Christianna Silva, The Spruce, 22 Apr. 2026 But a mandate that says state agencies must buy advertising in local papers is no more a threat to editorial freedom than a mandate that says state agencies must buy office supplies from Maryland vendors. Julian Baron, Baltimore Sun, 19 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of office supply was in 1857

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Office supply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/office%20supply. Accessed 14 May. 2026.

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