customer

noun

cus·​tom·​er ˈkə-stə-mər 

1

: one that purchases a commodity or service

The customer used a credit card for the purchase.

2

: an individual usually having some specified distinctive trait

a real tough customer

… let me give you the advice of an old and world-weary customer.

—Flannery O'Connor

Synonyms

• client
• patron
• guest

Examples of customer in a Sentence

She is one of our best customers.

She's a pretty cool customer.

Recent Examples on the Web

Kathleen Peters, chief innovation officer at Experian, said the company already has conversational agents that recommend actions and now carry them out—for example, walking a customer through the steps to boost a credit score. —Sharon Goldman, Fortune, 11 Sep. 2025

This consultative approach can turn potential customers into long-term advocates, proving your commitment to their success over your own sale. —Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025

As hotels compete for increasingly discerning customers, designs perceived as impractical or uncomfortable can quickly backfire in the age of viral social media. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 Sep. 2025

The company believes that combining additive manufacturing with modular solar technologies will enable satellites to be built and deployed faster, offering customers greater resilience in orbit. —Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English custumer, from custume — see custom entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing customer

• cool customer
• customer base
• paying customer
• regular customer

Kids Definition

customer

noun

cus·​tom·​er ˈkəs-tə-mər 

1

: one that buys a product or service

2

: individual entry 2 sense 2, fellow

he's a real tough customer

Legal Definition

customer

noun

cus·​to·​mer

1

: a person or business that purchases a commodity or service

2

a

: a person or entity having an account with a bank or on whose behalf the bank has agreed to collect items

b

: a person or entity for whom an issuer issues a letter of credit