What does resell mean?
Resell means to sell something again. The thing being resold may have been bought by the seller, used, returned, surplus, or obtained specifically for resale. The word is common in discussions of retail, ticketing, secondhand goods, wholesale trade, and online marketplaces: a person or company may resell tickets, products, vehicles, or other merchandise. A resell transaction can produce a profit, cover a cost, or simply transfer an item to a new buyer. In legal and commercial contexts, the word is often neutral, although it can carry a slightly negative implication when it suggests repeatedly buying and selling an item. The related noun resale refers both to the practice and, sometimes, to the goods or services sold in this way.
verbTo sell something again, especially after it has been bought or used by someone else. It can also mean to sell a product that was purchased wholesale or for resale.
- To sell something again after it has been bought, used, or obtained by the seller.
- To buy goods in order to sell them, usually at a different price or through a different channel.
"The store buys discounted products from other retailers and resells them at lower prices."
"Fans are willing to pay a premium to resell limited-edition tickets."
"The company resells surplus stock to smaller retailers."
Buying something is only half the story: to resell it is to turn it into a new transaction.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of resell
Resell is formed in English by combining the prefix res-, meaning again, with the verb sell. The verb sell comes from Old English sellan, while sale and seller belong to the same Germanic word family. The prefix res- has been used in English for words involving repetition or reversal, but resell specifically expresses the act of making a new sale.
Related word forms
How resell is actually used
Resell is transitive and is normally followed by the item being sold: “They resell the shoes.” It is common in business, retail, legal, and consumer contexts and is usually neutral, though the word can sometimes imply excessive or repeated selling.
Easily confused with resell
Resell is the verb describing the act of selling something again, while resale is the noun for that act or for the goods being resold.