supply

noun

plural supplies

Definition of supply

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : the quantity or amount (as of a commodity) needed or available beer was in short supply in that hot weather— Nevil Shute

b : provisions, stores —usually used in plural

c : a member of the clergy filling a vacant pulpit temporarily

d obsolete : reinforcements —often used in plural

2 : the act or process of filling a want or need engaged in the supply of raw materials to industry

3 : the quantities of goods or services offered for sale at a particular time or at one price

4 : something that maintains or constitutes a supply

5 obsolete : assistance, succor

supply

verb

sup·ply | \ sə-ˈplī

supplied; supplying

Definition of supply (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 [Middle French souploier, alteration of soupplier]

a : to make available for use : provide supplied the necessary funds

b : to satisfy the needs or wishes of

c : to provide for : satisfy laws by which the material wants of men are supplied — Bulletin of Bates College

d : to furnish (organs, tissues, or cells) with a vital element (such as blood or nerve fibers)

2 : to substitute for another in specifically : to serve as a supply in (a church or pulpit)

3 : to add as a supplement

intransitive verb

: to serve as a supply or substitute

supply

Definition of supply (Entry 3 of 3)

less common spelling of supplely

Other Words from supply Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about supply

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Synonyms for supply

Synonyms: Noun

Synonyms: Verb

Examples of supply in a Sentence

Noun adequate supplies of fresh water He bought a month's supply of cigarettes. They took a month's worth of supplies on the camping trip. The town is in need of basic medical supplies. a store that sells art supplies The state is trying to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs. The storm interrupted the town's electricity supply. Verb The company supplied the necessary money. You'll have to supply your own food.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Employees also climbed over metal railings to reach the power supply boxes since the ride had no other entrance access to them, OSHA said in the records. — Gabrielle Russon, orlandosentinel.com, 11 June 2021 But there are signs that gas price increases may be dampened by supply side factors. — Christian Robles, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 11 June 2021 Starbucks is hardly the only company struggling with supply issues. — BostonGlobe.com, 11 June 2021 Recent breaches by cybercriminals on hospitals and global companies including meat processor JBS and Colonial Pipeline oil have disrupted operations for hours, leading to worries of supply shortages. — NBC News, 11 June 2021 Biden had faced mounting pressure to outline its global vaccine sharing plan, especially as inequities in supply around the world have become more pronounced and the demand for shots in the U.S. has dropped precipitously in recent weeks. — Zeke Miller, Star Tribune, 10 June 2021 Demand is soaring as the pandemic recedes while supply constraints linger, especially in labor and transportation. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 10 June 2021 Years of unrelenting drought and temperatures pushed higher by climate change are shrinking theflow into the lake, contributing to the large mismatch between the demands for water and the Colorado’s diminishing supply. — Ian James, The Arizona Republic, 10 June 2021 Years of unrelenting drought and temperatures pushed higher by climate change are shrinking theflow into the lake, contributing to the large mismatch between the demands for water and the Colorado’s diminishing supply. — Ian James, USA TODAY, 10 June 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb And attempts to induce the police to supply the numbers so far haven’t worked. — Washington Post, 9 June 2021 Shop Now: $247.49 from Nixplay at the time of publication Rather than rely on subpar toothbrushes that hotels may supply, your dad will appreciate the luxurious Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige. — Robin Raven, Forbes, 9 June 2021 Russia is also laying down thousands of miles of oil and gas pipelines to supply Europe and Asia. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, 9 June 2021 The event is limited to 20 participants who must supply their own mat and towel. — Susan Degrane, chicagotribune.com, 8 June 2021 Despite the wave of entrepreneurs itching to break into the legal market, there are some dealers and plugs — a term for dealers who supply other dealers — who are well prepared to continue to skirt the edges of the law. — Noah Daly, Rolling Stone, 7 June 2021 As the Future Group struggled under debt, Reliance showed a willingness to supply a credit line for its products. — New York Times, 7 June 2021 While there are some overlaps and similarities to the risks that semiconductor and rare earths supply chains face, the challenges aren’t identical. — Mary Hui, Quartz, 7 June 2021 Kornieck provided valuable support to Morgan, taking five shots to open up the attack and supply the equalizer. — Julia Poe, orlandosentinel.com, 6 June 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'supply.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

13 Jun 2021

Cite this Entry

“Supply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/supply. Accessed 13 Jun. 2021.

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More Definitions for supply

supply

noun

English Language Learners Definition of supply

(Entry 1 of 2)

: the amount of something that is available to be used

: things (such as food, equipment, fuel, etc.) that are needed for a particular purpose and that will be used by a particular person or group

: the process or system by which something is provided to a person, place, etc.

supply

verb

English Language Learners Definition of supply (Entry 2 of 2)

: to make (something) available to be used : to provide someone or something with (something that is needed or wanted)

See the full definition for supply in the English Language Learners Dictionary

supply

verb

sup·ply | \ sə-ˈplī

supplied; supplying

Kids Definition of supply

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to provide for : satisfy There is enough to supply the demand.

2 : to make available : furnish The tree supplies shade.

supply

noun

plural supplies

Kids Definition of supply (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the amount of something that is needed or can be gotten medical supplies

2 : store entry 2 sense 3 I keep a supply of pencils in my desk.

3 : the act or process of providing something The company is engaged in the supply of raw materials.

supply

transitive verb

sup·ply | \ sə-ˈplī

supplied; supplying

Medical Definition of supply

: to furnish (organs, tissues, or cells) with a vital element (as blood or nerve fibers) —used of nerves and blood vessels the mandibular foramen transmits blood vessels and nerves supplying the lower teeth