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Meaning of wholesale in English

Table of contents
  1. Pronunciation
  2. Verb
    1. Definitions
  3. Classifying Adjective
    1. Definitions
  4. Adverb
    1. Definitions
  5. Noun
    1. Etymology
    2. Definitions
  6. Qualitative Adjective
    1. Definitions
  1. Pronunciation

    /ˈhoʊlˌseɪl/

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  1. Verb

    wholesale

    Definitions

    1. sell in large quantities

    Antonyms

    • retail

    Derived terms

    • jobber
    • middleman
    • wholesaler
  2. Classifying Adjective

    wholesale

    Definitions

    1. ignoring distinctions

    Examples

    • « sweeping generalizations »
    • « wholesale destruction »

    Synonyms

    • indiscriminate
  3. Adverb

    wholesale

    Definitions

    1. at a wholesale price

    Examples

    • « I can sell it to you wholesale »

    Antonyms

    • retail
  4. 2. on a large scale without careful discrimination

    Examples

    • « I buy food wholesale »
  5. Noun

    wholesale

    Etymology

    late Middle English: originally as by whole sale ‘in large quantities’

    Definitions

    1. the selling of goods to merchants

    Examples

    • « usually in large quantities for resale to consumers »

    Antonyms

    • retail
  6. Qualitative Adjective

    wholesale

    Definitions

    1. selling or related to selling goods in large quantities for resale to the consumer

    Examples

    • « wholesale prices »
    • « a wholesale produce market »

    Antonyms

    • retail

Famous quotes

  • « The god whom science recognizes must be a God of universal laws exclusively, a God who does a wholesale, not a retail business. He cannot accommodate his processes to the convenience of individuals. »
    William James
  • « There's only one thing harder than living in a home with an adolescent - and that's being an adolescent. The moodiness, the volatility, the wholesale lack of impulse control, all would be close to clinical conditions if they occurred at another point in life. In adolescence, they're just part of the behavioral portfolio. »
    Jeffrey Kluger
  • « The logic is often far-fetched - how does medical marijuana affect interstate commerce? - and some conservatives would like judges to start throwing out federal laws wholesale on commerce clause grounds. The court once again said no thanks. »
    Michael Kinsley
  • « Indeed, the whole human species is endangered, by nuclear weapons or by other means of wholesale destruction which further advances in science are likely to produce. »
    Joseph Rotblat
  • « If you go back to the time of J.P. Morgan, the world of high finance was completely wholesale. The prestigious investment banks on Wall Street appealed exclusively to large corporations, governments, and to extremely wealthy individuals. »
    Ron Chernow

Browse dictionary

  • wholeness
  • wholemeal
  • wholeheartedness
  • wholeheartedly
  • wholesale
  • wholesaler
  • wholesale house
  • wholesale price index
  • wholesome
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