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

In this role, Cohen will lead global commercial strategy, overseeing wholesale, retail and e-commerce, with a focus on expanding the business across markets, channels and categories. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 16 Jan. 2026

This announcement comes amid Nike’s return to wholesale as the Swoosh looks to turnaround its business. —Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 15 Jan. 2026

Adjective

However, the cafe's roots go back even further, as Brewed Awakenings functioned as a gift basket and wholesale coffee supply seller for many years before opening its first storefront. —Catherine Messier, The Providence Journal, 22 Jan. 2026

For manufacturers and energy operators ready to embrace change, software is the key to smarter, cleaner, and more resilient operations with less wholesale replacements necessary. —CBS News, 21 Jan. 2026

Adverb

ByteStyle, the company’s code of values, preaches a culture that could have been lifted wholesale from Google or Amazon: diverse, inclusive, radically honest and transparent. —Alex W. Palmer, New York Times, 20 Dec. 2022

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

Verb

His father, Mauro Garavani, married Valentino's mother, Teresa, and opened a barbershop before turning to a career in wholesaling electrical equipment, which guaranteed the family a certain affluence. —Elena Banfi, Vanity Fair, 19 Jan. 2026

While direct-to-consumer is the majority of the business, Zadig & Voltaire wholesales its collection at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Nordstrom, in addition to operating concessions at Bloomingdale’s. —Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 10 Nov. 2025

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