wholesale

1.adjectiveB2

Definition

relating to a business model where goods are supplied in very large amounts at lower rates to shops and companies, as opposed to selling individual items to people buying for themselves.

Example

The cafe owner gets a wholesale price on beans by ordering directly from the importer.

wholesale + noun (price)

Paloma's family runs a wholesale business that sells tiles to hardware stores across the region.

wholesale + noun (business)

Common collocations

wholesale price
wholesale business
wholesale market
wholesale customer
wholesale license

Synonyms

bulk
used similarly as an adjective ('bulk order', 'bulk price') but less formal and not tied to a specific business model
trade
broader — refers to any commercial exchange, not specifically large-quantity sales

Antonyms

retail
opposite business model — selling to individual customers in small quantities

Grammar Patterns

wholesale + noun

Usage Note

This adjective almost always appears before a noun. Common noun partners include 'price', 'business', 'market', 'customer', and 'license'.

Common Mistakes

I went to the wholesale store to buy one T-shirt for myself.

I went to the wholesale store to buy T-shirts for my clothing shop.

Wholesale implies buying in quantity for resale, not single items for personal use.

2.adjectiveC1

Definition

done on a very broad scale and affecting many things at once, often without careful thought about the individual details or consequences.

Example

The new manager made wholesale changes to the team without consulting anyone first.

wholesale + noun (changes)

The principal's wholesale cancellation of all school field trips upset both students and parents.

wholesale + noun (cancellation)

Common collocations

wholesale changes
wholesale destruction
wholesale dismissal
wholesale reform
wholesale attack

Synonyms

sweeping
very close in meaning; 'sweeping changes' and 'wholesale changes' are nearly interchangeable
blanket
emphasizes covering everything without exceptions ('blanket ban', 'blanket policy')
indiscriminate
highlights the lack of careful selection; often more negative than 'wholesale'

Antonyms

selective
involving careful choice rather than blanket application
piecemeal
done gradually in separate stages rather than all at once

Grammar Patterns

wholesale + noun (of change/destruction/dismissal)

Usage Note

This sense often carries a negative tone, especially when describing actions that are considered too extreme or lacking in proper consideration. Common noun partners include 'changes', 'destruction', 'dismissal', 'reform', and 'attack'.

Common Mistakes

The company announced wholesale price adjustments for next year.

The company announced wholesale changes to its entire product line, dropping over half of its models.

In the sweeping sense, 'wholesale' describes the broad, indiscriminate nature of an action (changes, cuts, closures), not the pricing model.

1.nounB2

Definition

the cost charged to shops and other businesses by manufacturers for buying goods in bulk, as opposed to the amount that individual customers pay in stores.

Example

The boutique buys its dresses at wholesale and then adds a markup for customers.

at wholesale (prepositional phrase)

Anjali compared the wholesale with the retail price to calculate her profit margin.

the wholesale (used as countable noun)

Common collocations

at wholesale
pay wholesale
buy at wholesale
sell at wholesale

Synonyms

trade price
a synonym for the price paid by businesses buying from each other
bulk rate
focuses on the quantity discount rather than the business model

Antonyms

retail price
the price paid by end customers in shops

Grammar Patterns

at wholesale

pay wholesale

Usage Note

Commonly appears in the phrase 'at wholesale' (meaning 'at the wholesale price'). It can also be used as a countable noun ('the wholesale') to refer to the specific price of a particular product.

2.nounB2

Definition

the business or activity of buying goods in huge amounts from producers and selling them to shops or other businesses that then sell them to the public.

Example

Ryo has worked in wholesale for fifteen years, supplying fabrics to fashion brands.

work in wholesale

The company moved from retail into wholesale and saw its monthly profit jump from $3,000 to $18,000 within two years.

into wholesale

Common collocations

in wholesale
work in wholesale
go into wholesale
wholesale business

Synonyms

bulk trade
emphasizes the large-quantity nature of the business
distribution
broader — includes wholesale but also other types of product movement

Antonyms

retail
the opposite model of selling directly to individual customers

Grammar Patterns

in wholesale

work in wholesale

Usage Note

This uncountable noun refers to the trade or sector, not the price. Common phrases include 'in wholesale' (as a business area) and 'work in wholesale' (as a profession).

Common Mistakes

I bought this at wholesale.' — When you mean 'at the wholesale price,' this is acceptable for sense 1. For sense 2, use 'in wholesale':

I work in wholesale.

1.adverbB2

Definition

in very large quantities at a low cost, typically so that the goods can be resold at a higher price for profit.

Example

The bakery buys flour wholesale from a local mill to keep its costs down.

buy + wholesale

If you order the parts wholesale, you can build the machine for half the price.

order + wholesale

Common collocations

buy wholesale
sell wholesale
purchase wholesale
order wholesale

Synonyms

in bulk
similar meaning but can also apply to non-commercial contexts ('buying rice in bulk')
at cost
focuses on the price being the production cost, not necessarily large quantity

Antonyms

retail
selling items one by one to individual customers at a higher price

Grammar Patterns

buy/sell/purchase wholesale

Usage Note

This adverb usually follows a verb of transaction. Common verbs it modifies include 'buy', 'sell', 'purchase', 'order', and 'supply'. It answers the question 'in what manner?' regarding the transaction.

Common Mistakes

I bought it wholesale for personal use.

The shop bought the stock wholesale for resale.

Wholesale implies buying in bulk for business purposes, not personal consumption.

2.adverbC1

Definition

on a very broad scale without making careful distinctions or considering individual cases.

Example

The factory closed and laid off workers wholesale without any warning or severance pay.

verb + wholesale (laid off wholesale)

The landlord decided to raise rents wholesale on all tenants, even those who never caused any problems.

verb + wholesale (raise rents wholesale)

Common collocations

dismiss wholesale
lay off wholesale
cut wholesale
replace wholesale

Synonyms

indiscriminately
the most direct synonym; strongly emphasizes lack of careful selection
en masse
from French, means 'as a whole group' without the negative connotation
across the board
applies equally to everything, often neutral in tone (e.g., 'a pay raise across the board')

Antonyms

selectively
with careful choice rather than blanket application
individually
case by case rather than all at once

Grammar Patterns

verb + wholesale

Usage Note

This sense often carries a critical or negative tone, suggesting that the action is too broad and lacks proper judgment. Typical verbs it modifies include 'dismiss', 'lay off', 'cut', 'replace', 'remove', and 'destroy'.

Word family

wholesaler
nounB2
wholesaling
nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Wholesale', 'bulk', 'commercial', and 'trade' all relate to business-to-business transactions, but they differ in scope and usage. 'Wholesale' describes the specific business model of selling large quantities to retailers for resale ('a wholesale supplier of office furniture'). 'Bulk' focuses more on the large quantity aspect and can be used in non-commercial contexts ('a bulk order of paper for the office'). 'Commercial' is much broader, describing anything related to business or profit ('commercial property', 'commercial law'), and does not imply large quantities. 'Trade' is even broader, covering any exchange of goods or services ('international trade', 'trade agreement'), and can include both wholesale and retail. For example: a bakery buys flour wholesale from a mill (specific business relationship), orders it in bulk (large quantity regardless of who sells it), and negotiates a commercial rate (business pricing) under a trade agreement (general framework).

wholesale ↗bulk ↗commercial ↗trade ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

at wholesale
in bulk
directly
exclusively

Phrases

at wholesale
buy wholesale
sell wholesale
in wholesale
go into wholesale

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Wholesale' combines 'whole' (from Old English 'hal', meaning entire or complete) and 'sale' (from Old English 'sala', meaning a selling or offering). The term originally distinguished selling an entire lot or bulk of goods from selling individual items at retail. It first appeared in English around the early 1400s, and the figurative sense — meaning 'on a large scale without discrimination' — developed in the 1600s.

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wholesale

wholesale — adjective

1. relating to a business model where goods are supplied in very large amounts at l

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. done on a very broad scale and affecting many things at once, often without care

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

wholesale — noun

1. the cost charged to shops and other businesses by manufacturers for buying goods

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

2. the business or activity of buying goods in huge amounts from producers and sell

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

wholesale — adverb

1. in very large quantities at a low cost, typically so that the goods can be resol

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

2. on a very broad scale without making careful distinctions or considering individ

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

wholesale — verb

1. to sell goods in very large amounts, usually at low prices, to shops or other bu

Grammar Patterns

Usage Note

Common Mistakes

Word family

Synonym discussion

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

Prepositions

Etymology

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