: the sale of commodities in quantity usually for resale (as by a retail merchant)
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
: in a wholesale manner
wholesaled; wholesaling
: to sell (something) in quantity usually for resale
: 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
Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
Currently, about 75% of sales come from online and 22% from retail, with wholesale representing only a small slice through strategic placements in gyms, cruise lines, and other environments designed to drive trial.
—Brin Snelling, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
There also were drops in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, as well as wholesale trade.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
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
Matt Egan, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
The idea was to create the first ever international drugstore chain operator and drug wholesaling company.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholesale
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Noun
The finalists brought up challenges ranging from manufacturing to navigating wholesale, amid a vendor payment crisis at some department stores.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2025
Currently, about 75% of sales come from online and 22% from retail, with wholesale representing only a small slice through strategic placements in gyms, cruise lines, and other environments designed to drive trial.
—Brin Snelling, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
According to the statement, with the backing of PAI, Marcolin has broadened its international reach and enhanced operational efficiency, reinforcing itself as a leading player in the wholesale eyewear market.
—Thomas Waller, Footwear News, 5 Sep. 2025
There also were drops in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction, as well as wholesale trade.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2025
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
Prices on apparel wholesaling climbed 5%, while the apparel, jewelry, footwear and accessories retailing category spiked 8%.
—Matt Egan, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2025
The idea was to create the first ever international drugstore chain operator and drug wholesaling company.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for wholesale
Cite this Entry
“Wholesale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wholesale. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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 adjective1
: 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
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