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

The combination of the two moves should help Starbucks realize a more efficient supply chain, leading to lower costs (and in turn margin expansion), without negatively impacting the the customer experience. —Zev Fima, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2025

Tariffs and trade negotiations are shaking up global supply chains, sending ripple effects across industries from manufacturing to retail. —Rick Morris, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025

Loro Piana has reaffirmed its commitment to improving its supply chain auditing, severing ties with suppliers found in violation of its agreements, as did Valentino, Giorgio Armani and Dior. —Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025

The trucking firm anticipates more shippers will embrace intermodal options if service improves and expects the deal to bolster supply chain competitiveness by maximizing the efficient use of both trucks and trains. —Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 3 Sep. 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