wholesale

1 of 4

noun

whole·​sale ˈhōl-ˌsāl 

: the sale of commodities in quantity usually for resale (as by a retail merchant)

wholesale

2 of 4

adjective

1

: performed or existing on a large scale especially without discrimination

wholesale slaughter

2

: of, relating to, or engaged in the sale of commodities in quantity for resale

a wholesale grocer

wholesale

3 of 4

adverb

: in a wholesale manner

wholesale

4 of 4

verb

wholesaled; wholesaling

transitive verb

: to sell (something) in quantity usually for resale

intransitive verb

: to sell in quantity usually for resale

Examples of wholesale in a Sentence

Adjective

The crops originated from wholesale growers.

Is that price retail or wholesale?

Verb

The company wholesales clothing to boutiques in the area.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Rag & Bone has historically been heavily wholesale driven, and Lucaj does not see stand-alone retail growth as a replacement for wholesale. — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 23 Sep. 2026

Yet the traditions of these holidays stand alongside the criticisms, both of which allow for debate, revision of celebration, and dissemination of knowledge without tossing out holidays wholesale. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Sep. 2026

Adjective

The sweaters were produced in a limited run and will be available in the company’s boutiques and on its website as well as at select wholesale accounts. — Jean E. Palmieri, Footwear News, 24 Sep. 2026

Victim organizations included wholesale distribution, construction, financial services, real estate, higher education, and healthcare. — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 22 Sep. 2026

Adverb

The remainder is wholesale-driven and includes accounts in Asia and the Middle East. — Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 16 June 2026

Last year, the decades-old chemotherapy drug fludarabine could be purchased wholesale for $110. — Tony Paquin and David Sanders, STAT, 14 Dec. 2022

Verb

The response is not to wholesale import consumer-software practices, since consequences in the automotive industry can be hazardous. — Rajjie Sarmey, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026

The company has grown its direct-to-consumer business, operates 10 freestanding locations and wholesales its collection at Net-a-porter, Shopbop as well as specialty stores. — Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1607, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Adverb

1696, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1792, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for wholesale

• abigail
• cottontail
• countervail
• fingernail
• martingale
• mesoscale
• microscale
• monorail
• nanoscale
• ponytail
• swallowtail
• wensleydale

Kids Definition

wholesale

1 of 3 noun

whole·​sale ˈhōl-ˌsāl 

: the sale of goods in large quantity usually for resale (as by a store owner)

wholesale

2 of 3 adjective

1

: of, relating to, or engaged in the sale of goods in quantity for resale

a wholesale grocer

wholesale prices

2

: done on a large scale : general

wholesale changes in the team's roster

wholesale adverb

wholesale

3 of 3 verb

wholesaled; wholesaling

: to sell usually in large amounts for resale

wholesaler noun