What does wholesale mean?
Wholesale describes commerce conducted in large quantities, usually at prices lower than those charged for individual items. A wholesaler sells products in bulk to retailers, businesses, or other distributors rather than directly to consumers, and the term also covers buying on that basis. As an adjective, wholesale can refer to prices, markets, trade, or discounts; as an adverb, it means that goods are bought or sold in bulk. In another established use, “wholesale” means complete or comprehensive, as in wholesale changes. The word combines “whole” and “sale,” reflecting the original idea of selling an entire quantity at once. Wholesale is useful because it identifies a distinct way of trading, not merely a large purchase, and it carries the practical implication of volume and often economies of scale.
A sale of goods in large quantities, typically to businesses or retailers rather than to individual consumers.
"The distributor sells clothing at wholesale to independent shops."
The noun is often used in the phrase “at wholesale” or with a modifier such as “the wholesale trade.”
To sell goods in bulk or at wholesale prices.
"The manufacturer wholesales textiles to retailers across the region."
The verb is relatively uncommon in everyday speech; “sells at wholesale” is often clearer.
Relating to the sale of goods in bulk, especially at reduced prices; in extended use, involving something in its entirety or on a comprehensive scale.
"The shop offers wholesale discounts to trade customers."
The sense involving bulk trade is the dominant commercial use. “Wholesale changes” specifically means sweeping or fundamental changes.
In large quantities or by the lot rather than individually.
"They buy tiles wholesale and split the delivery among three sites."
The phrase “at wholesale” is especially common in British and North American commercial English.
The plural is uncommon because wholesale as a noun is usually used in a general or mass-like sense; it is chiefly used for separate wholesale transactions.
"The distributor arranged several wholesales to regional retailers."
Wholesale is literally a business instruction: sell the whole quantity, not one piece at a time.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wholesale come from?
Wholesale is an English compound formed from “whole” and “sale,” literally a sale of the whole quantity rather than of individual items. It developed in medieval English trade usage, where wholesale trade referred to sale by the lot or in bulk. “Wholesaler” and “wholesaling” developed from the same trading concept, while “wholesome” belongs to the family of “whole”; “holism” and “holistic” are related forms associated with the wider idea of wholeness.
Related word forms
How wholesale is actually used
Wholesale is neutral in register and common in business, retail, and trade contexts. As an adjective, it can suggest lower prices because bulk purchasing reduces costs, though this is not guaranteed. The verb is less common than the noun, adjective, and adverb, and the expression “wholesale changes” has the more specific meaning of comprehensive or fundamental changes.
Easily confused with wholesale
Wholesale involves selling goods in bulk, often to businesses, whereas retail generally means selling individual items to final consumers.