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

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

Often, that money is spent at ward offices on rent, utilities, office supplies, printing and other bills. —Alice Yin, Chicago Tribune, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1857, in the meaning defined at sense 1a