stationery

stationery — noun

1. everyday items like pens, notebooks, printer paper, and envelopes that people ne

1.nounA2
Definition

everyday items like pens, notebooks, printer paper, and envelopes that people need for written tasks at school, in an office, or at home

Example

Before school started, Diya bought a lot of stationery from the shop near her house.

collocation: buy stationery

The office manager ordered more stationery after the team ran out of printer paper.

collocation: order more stationery

Common collocations
  • office stationery
  • school stationery
  • stationery supplies
  • buy stationery
  • order stationery
  • stationery shop
  • stationery cupboard
Synonyms
  • writing supplies

    a broader everyday term; covers the same items plus notebooks and folders

  • office supplies

    wider scope — includes non-writing items like tape, staplers, and printer toner

  • paper goods

    narrower — focuses on paper-based items only

Grammar Patterns

a lot of stationery

some stationery

stationery + noun (e.g. stationery shop)

Usage Note

Stationery is an uncountable noun. You say 'some stationery', 'a lot of stationery', or 'a piece of stationery', but never 'a stationery' or 'stationeries'.

Common Mistakes

The car remained stationery at the red light.
The car remained stationary at the red light.
'stationary' (with 'a') means not moving; 'stationery' (with 'e') means writing supplies.

2. high-quality paper sheets sold together with envelopes that match, designed for

2.nounB1
Definition

high-quality paper sheets sold together with envelopes that match, designed for writing personal letters or notes by hand

Example

Andrés bought a box of blue stationery to write thank-you notes after his wedding.

countable: a box of stationery

The elderly woman had beautiful stationery that she used only for letters to her grandchildren.

Common collocations
  • personal stationery
  • elegant stationery
  • stationery set
  • matching stationery
  • a box of stationery
  • cream-coloured stationery
Synonyms
  • letter paper

    refers only to the paper, not the envelopes

  • correspondence set

    slightly more formal; emphasises the matching set of paper and envelopes

  • note cards

    smaller folded cards for short messages, distinct from letter sheets

Grammar Patterns

a stationery set

a piece of stationery

stationery + matching envelopes

Usage Note

In this sense, stationery usually refers to a complete set of paper and envelopes. It is still typically uncountable ('some beautiful stationery'), but you may hear it used countably when talking about different designs ('several stationery sets').

Common Mistakes

She bought stationery for the whole office.' (when referring to letter paper)
She bought a stationery set for her thank-you notes.
sense 2 is specifically about quality letter-writing paper and matching envelopes, not general office supplies.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Stationery is the most specific of these terms, referring primarily to items used for writing by hand — paper, pens, pencils, and envelopes. Writing supplies is a broader everyday term that covers the same range plus notebooks, folders, and sticky notes, but still focuses on items for written work. Office supplies is the widest category: it includes stationery items alongside non-writing equipment like tape dispensers, staplers, printer ink, and desk organisers. Paper goods is the narrowest, referring only to paper-based products such as notepads, printer paper, and greeting cards. If you are shopping for a classroom, 'school supplies' or 'writing supplies' sounds natural. For a business, 'office supplies' is the usual term. When describing a decorative set of paper and envelopes for personal letters, 'stationery' is the only word that fits naturally.

stationery ↗writing suppliesoffice suppliespaper goods

Common collocations

Nouns

  • stationery shop
  • stationery store
  • stationery aisle
  • stationery cupboard
  • stationery cabinet

Phrases

  • a piece of stationery
  • a range of stationery

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Stationery comes from the word 'stationer', which in medieval times meant a bookseller or publisher who ran a fixed shop (a 'station') rather than travelling to sell books at fairs. By the 1700s, stationers had expanded into selling paper, pens, and other writing materials, and 'stationery' came to mean the goods they sold. The spelling with an 'e' (stationery) helps distinguish it from 'stationary', meaning not moving — a difference that often confuses English learners.