What does purveying mean?
Purveying means supplying or providing something, especially food, goods, information, or services, as a business or organized service. Its clearest use is formal: a company purveys products, a hotel purveys hospitality, or an informant purveys information to investigators. The verb has an old-fashioned, ceremonious quality, often suggesting that the provider is regularly or professionally engaged in the activity. “Purveyor” is its standard noun counterpart and commonly appears in phrases such as “purveyor of nonsense,” where it can sound mildly disparaging or ironic. Although “provide” and “supply” are the plain modern equivalents, “purveying” is more distinctive and adds a sense of deliberate presentation or established service. It remains useful in formal prose, business language, law, and historical writing, while sounding conspicuously literary in casual conversation.
verbTo provide or supply something, especially food, goods, information, or services, typically as a business or organized service.
- Supplying or providing goods, food, information, or services, especially as a business or organized service.
"The company purveys rare ingredients to restaurants throughout Europe."
"The restaurant purveys local seafood to customers throughout the summer."
"The informant spent years purveying sensitive information to government investigators."
Purveying is “providing” with a touch of ceremony: it suggests someone who makes a habit of supplying what others want or need.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does purveying come from?
English “purvey” was borrowed through Anglo-Norman and Old French from forms ultimately derived from Latin providere. The Latin verb combined pro- with videre and originally conveyed the idea of looking out for or providing for someone. The same Latin foundation underlies cognates such as provision, provider, providence, and proviso.
Related word forms
How purveying is actually used
Formal and somewhat old-fashioned. It often suggests regular or professional provision and can convey a ceremonious or grandiose tone. The related noun “purveyor” is sometimes used ironically, as in “purveyor of nonsense.”