supply chain

noun

plural supply chains

: the chain of processes, businesses, etc. by which a commodity is produced and distributed : the companies, materials, and systems involved in manufacturing and delivering goods

The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of the global supply chain—that's the usually invisible pathway of manufacturing, transportation and logistics that gets goods from where they are manufactured, mined or grown to where they are going. At the end of the chain is another company or a consumer who has paid for the finished product.

—Peter S. Goodman

Everyday life in the United States is acutely dependent on the perpetual motion of the supply chain, in which food and medicine and furniture and clothing all compete for many of the same logistical resources. … [W]hen a finite supply of packaging can't keep up with demand, when there aren't enough longshoremen or truck drivers or postal workers, when a container ship gets wedged sideways in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes—the effects ripple outward for weeks or months, emptying shelves and raising prices in ways that can seem random. All of a sudden, you can't buy kettlebells or canned seltzer.

—Amanda Mull

Examples of supply chain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Derived from textile waste, the new material offers 50 percent lower carbon emissions than virgin polyester, and will be introduced into the supply chain for products like apparel. —Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 1 July 2025

This geopolitical alleviation may facilitate smoother global supply chains, which are vital for booming sectors like AI and data center infrastructure, both currently witnessing robust demand and ongoing investment. —Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

China currently exercises an effective monopoly over the rare earth supply chain—materials that are critical for defense systems, renewable energy infrastructure and advanced technologies, Newsweek reported. —Isabel Van Brugen john Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 June 2025

The teak comes from a sustainable supply chain, the glass is laminated for better insulation, the paints are water-based, and the solar panels generate clean, green energy. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 30 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supply chain

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• gethsemane
• halothane
• hurricane