What does stationer mean?
A stationer is a person or business that sells stationery, including paper, pens, pencils, notebooks, ink, and other writing or office supplies. The word is especially familiar in British English, while American speakers may prefer “office supply store” or “office supply retailer.” Although its modern meaning is straightforward, “stationer” once had a broader commercial sense: a bookseller or dealer who supplied books and other written materials. This older role explains the historical connection between a stationer and the trade in literature, publishing, and writing supplies. Today, the term remains useful in both formal descriptions of retailers and ordinary references to a local shop, such as in “the stationer on the corner.” It should not be confused with “stationery,” which names the goods rather than the person or business that sells them.
nounA person or business that sells stationery and related office or writing supplies. Historically, the term also referred to a bookseller or a dealer in books and other printed materials.
- A person or business that sells stationery, office supplies, or writing materials.
- Historically, a bookseller or dealer in books and printed materials.
"She bought a fountain pen and a notebook from the local stationer."
"The stationer delivered the ordered folders before the office opened."
"In the seventeenth century, a stationer might have sold manuscripts, printed books, ink, and paper."
The plural refers to multiple people or businesses that sell stationery.
"Several stationers supplied notebooks to the school."
A stationer was once more than an office-supply seller: the word originally belonged to booksellers and other dealers who sold written materials.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does stationer come from?
The word entered Middle English in forms connected with Anglo-French and Latin usage and ultimately relates to Latin stationarius, originally a person who stood or had a fixed place. In the Middle Ages, a stationer was a bookseller or dealer in books and other written materials. The trade later expanded to include paper, pens, ink, and writing supplies, giving rise to the modern sense and to the derivative “stationery.”
Related word forms
How stationer is actually used
The word is especially common in British English; in American English, “office supply store” or “office supply retailer” may be used more often. Its older sense as a bookseller is chiefly historical.
Easily confused with stationer
A stationer is a person or shop that sells stationery, whereas stationery is the paper, pens, notebooks, and other writing supplies themselves.