supply

1 of 3

noun

sup·​ply sə-ˈplī How to pronounce supply (audio)
plural supplies
Synonyms of supplynext
1
a
: the quantity or amount (as of a commodity) needed or available
Beer was in short supply in that hot weather …Nevil Shute
b
: provisions, stores
usually used in plural
c
: a member of the clergy filling a vacant pulpit temporarily
d
obsolete : reinforcements
often used in plural
2
: the act or process of filling a want or need
engaged in the supply of raw materials to industry
3
: the quantities of goods or services offered for sale at a particular time or at one price
4
: something that maintains or constitutes a supply
5
obsolete : assistance, succor

supply

2 of 3

verb

supplied; supplying

transitive verb

1
a
: to make available for use : provide
supplied the necessary funds
b
: to satisfy the needs or wishes of
c
: to provide for : satisfy
… laws by which the material wants of men are suppliedBulletin of Bates College
d
: to furnish (organs, tissues, or cells) with a vital element (such as blood or nerve fibers)
2
: to substitute for another in
specifically : to serve as a supply in (a church or pulpit)
3
: to add as a supplement

intransitive verb

: to serve as a supply or substitute
supplier noun

supply

3 of 3

adverb

sup·​ply p(ə)lē How to pronounce supply (audio)
-li

less common spelling of supplely

: in a supple manner

Examples of supply in a Sentence

Noun adequate supplies of fresh water He bought a month's supply of cigarettes. They took a month's worth of supplies on the camping trip. The town is in need of basic medical supplies. a store that sells art supplies The state is trying to disrupt the supply of illegal drugs. The storm interrupted the town's electricity supply. Verb The company supplied the necessary money. You'll have to supply your own food.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
While much of the world’s economy has shown resilience in the face of the worst disruption to energy supplies in modern times, the knock-on effects of the conflict are starting to push up inflation while raising alarm bells about food supplies and prompting downgrades to economic growth. Sean Nevin, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026 Order it now for just $5 while supplies last! Kathleen Saxe, Mercury News, 24 Apr. 2026
Verb
The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality. Julian Bell, The New York Review of Books, 25 Apr. 2026 Expanding cross-border power trade through initiatives like the ASEAN Power Grid can allow nuclear and renewable energy stations to supply more than one country. Julius Cesar Trajano, Fortune, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for supply

Word History

Etymology

Noun

derivative of supply entry 2

Verb

Middle English supplien "to fill up, accomplish, discharge (an office)," borrowed from Middle French soupplier "to add what is lacking to" (also souppleer, suploier "to make up for [a lack, deficiency]," suppleer a, soupplir "to replace"), going back to Latin supplēre "to fill up, complete, raise (a military unit, crew) to its full complement, make good a deficiency in," from sub- sub- + plēre "to fill" — more at full entry 1

Note: Though the French verb receives its semantic start with Latin supplēre, none of the great variety of formal outcomes appear to be directly traceable to it. Variants such as suploier and soupplier have evidently been crossed with outcomes of supplicāre "to sue for forgiveness, supplicate" (see also suppliant entry 1). The form suppleer, which may be directly behind Modern French suppléer, appears to have been both latinized (after supplēre) and conformed to verbs such as créer. The variant soupplir suggests the general Romance re-formation *supplīre (compare Old Occitan and Spanish suplir, Italian sopperire).

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 5

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of supply was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Supply.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.grautoblog.com/dictionary/supply. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.

Kids Definition

supply

1 of 2 verb
sup·​ply sə-ˈplī How to pronounce supply (audio)
supplied; supplying
1
: to add as a supplement
2
a
: to provide for : satisfy
enough to supply the demand
b
: to make available for use
supplied the necessary money
c
: to satisfy the needs or wishes of
supplier noun

supply

2 of 2 noun
plural supplies
1
a
: the quantity or amount of something that is needed or available
the nation's oil supply
b
: store entry 2 sense 1b
usually used in plural
2
: the act or process of filling a want or need
3
: the quantities of goods or services offered for sale at a particular time or at one price

Medical Definition

supply

transitive verb
sup·​ply sə-ˈplī How to pronounce supply (audio)
supplied; supplying
: to furnish (organs, tissues, or cells) with a vital element (as blood or nerve fibers)
used of nerves and blood vessels
the mandibular foramen transmits blood vessels and nerves supplying the lower teeth

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