supermarket

IPA/sˈuːpəmˌɑːkɪt/
KK[sˈupɚmˌɑrkɪt]IPA/sˈuːpərmˌɑːrkɪt/

supermarket — noun

1. a large shop where customers select food and household goods from open shelves a

1.nounA1
Definition

a large shop where customers select food and household goods from open shelves and pay at a central checkout before leaving

Example

Every Saturday morning, the neighborhood supermarket is full of people buying fresh fruit and milk.

neighborhood supermarket

The local supermarket has self-checkout machines for shoppers with just a few items.

local supermarket, self-checkout machines

Common collocations
  • local supermarket
  • visit the supermarket
  • supermarket aisle
  • supermarket chain
  • supermarket trolley
Synonyms
  • grocery store

    more common in American English, often refers to smaller shops

  • hypermarket

    refers to a significantly larger store that also sells general household goods

  • market

    a general term that can refer to outdoor stalls or smaller local food shops

Grammar Patterns

singular noun

Usage Note

Commonly used in compound forms such as 'supermarket shelves' or 'supermarket chain'.

Common Mistakes

Confusing with 'grocery store' (often used interchangeably in US English, but 'supermarket' implies a larger, self-service retail scale).

Writing it as two words 'super market' instead of the single compound noun.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These terms refer to places where food is purchased. Supermarket is the most standard term for a medium-to-large self-service shop. Grocery store is often used in US English to describe any shop selling food, but can feel smaller than a typical supermarket. Hypermarket is a technical term for massive stores that combine groceries with extensive department store goods like electronics or clothing.

supermarket ↗grocery storehypermarket

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • do the supermarket shopping

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

The word combines 'super' (meaning 'above' or 'more than') and 'market' (a place to trade). It describes a store that is 'more than' a traditional market because of its size and the convenience of self-service. It first appeared in the early 20th century as this style of large-scale shopping became popular in the United States.

First known use

1931