supply

¹

[ suh-plahy ]

verb (used with object)

, sup·plied, sup·ply·ing.

1. to furnish or provide (a person, establishment, place, etc.) with what is lacking or requisite:

   to supply someone clothing;

   to supply a community with electricity.

2. to furnish or provide (something wanting or requisite):

   to supply electricity to a community.

3. to make up, compensate for, or satisfy (a deficiency, loss, need, etc.):

   The TVA supplied the need for cheap electricity.

4. to fill or occupy as a substitute, as a vacancy, a pulpit, etc.:

   During the summer local clergymen will supply the pulpit.

verb (used without object)

, sup·plied, sup·ply·ing.

1. to fill the place of another, especially the pulpit of a church, temporarily or as a substitute:

   Who will supply until the new minister arrives?

noun

, plural sup·plies.

1. the act of supplying, furnishing, providing, satisfying, etc.:

   to begin the supply of household help.

2. something that is supplied:

   The storm cut off our water supply.

3. a quantity of something on hand or available, as for use; a stock or store:

   Did you see our new supply of shirts?

4. Usually supplies. a provision, stock, or store of food or other things necessary for maintenance:

   to lay in supplies for the winter.

5. Economics. the quantity of a commodity that is in the market and available for purchase or that is available for purchase at a particular price.
6. supplies, Military.
   1. all items necessary for the equipment, maintenance, and operation of a military command, including food, clothing, arms, ammunition, fuel, materials, and machinery.
   2. procurement, distribution, maintenance, and salvage of supplies.
7. a person who fills a vacancy or takes the place of another, especially temporarily.
8. supplies. Obsolete. reinforcement ( def 4 ).
9. Obsolete. aid.

supply

²

[ suhp-lee ]

adverb

1. in a supple manner or way; supplely.

supply

¹

/ səˈplaɪ /

verb

1. troften foll bywith to furnish with something that is required

   to supply the community with good government

2. tr; often foll by to or for to make available or provide (something that is desired or lacking)

   to supply books to the library

3. tr to provide for adequately; make good; satisfy

   who will supply their needs?

4. to serve as a substitute, usually temporary, in (another's position, etc)

   there are no clergymen to supply the pulpit

5. tr to fill (a vacancy, position, etc)

noun

1. 1. the act of providing or something that is provided
   2. ( as modifier )

      a supply dump

2. often plural an amount available for use; stock
3. plural food, equipment, etc, needed for a campaign or trip
4. economics
   1. willingness and ability to offer goods and services for sale
   2. the amount of a commodity that producers are willing and able to offer for sale at a specified price Compare demand
5. military
   1. the management and disposal of food and equipment
   2. ( as modifier )

      supply routes

6. often plural a grant of money voted by a legislature for government expenses, esp those not covered by other revenues
7. (in Parliament and similar legislatures) the money voted annually for the expenses of the civil service and armed forces
8. 1. a person who acts as a temporary substitute
   2. ( as modifier )

      a supply vicar

9. a source of electrical energy, gas, etc
10. obsolete.
    aid or assistance

supply

²

/ ˈsʌplɪ; ˈsʌpəlɪ /

adverb

1. in a supple manner

supply

1. The amount of any given commodity available for sale at a given time.

Derived Forms

• supˈplier, noun
• supˈpliable, adjective

Other Words From

• sup·plier noun
• unsup·plied adjective
• well-sup·plied adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of supply¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English verb sup(p)lien “to fill up, complete,” from Middle French souplier, soupleer, ultimately from Latin supplēre “to fill up” (equivalent to sup- prefix + plēre “to fill”); noun derivative of the verb; sup- full ¹

Origin of supply²

First recorded in 1525–35; supple + -ly

Word History and Origins

Origin of supply¹

C14: from Old French souppleier, from Latin supplēre to complete, from sub- up + plēre to fill

Idioms and Phrases

see in short supply .

Example Sentences

Biofilms – gloopy accumulations of bacteria inside pipes – grow faster in low gravity environments, which could be a problem for water supplies or machinery that moves fluid around on space stations or future spacecraft, for example.

From BBC

This follows an assessment by the US government in May that Moscow had already supplied more than 500,000 barrels’ worth of oil.

From BBC

It is a criminal offence for a landlord to refuse to supply this information.

From BBC

Interruptions to power supplies and telephone networks could also occur.

From BBC

However, a lack of data means it is hard to quantify the scale of the contamination, and where tainted drinks enter the supply chain.

From BBC

Related Words

• amount
• fund
• inventory
• number
• quantity
• stock
• stockpile

More About Supply

What is a basic definition of supply?

The word supply is used as a verb to mean to provide something. As a noun, supply refers to a stockpile or quantity of something. Supply has several other senses as a verb or a noun.

As a verb, supply means to give something. You might supply something in response to a request for that item, as when a clothing factory supplies a department store with new clothes in return for money. You might supply something that satisfies a need, as when plants supply us with oxygen as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Or you might supply something in order to make up for a deficiency, as when a food pantry supplies food for hungry people.

• Real-life examples: A hydroelectric dam can supply a city with electricity. Soup kitchens supply impoverished people with food. Nature often supplies water and sunlight to plants.
• Used in a sentence: The teacher supplied pencils and paper to the students.

As a noun, supply means an amount of something that has been stored up or stockpiled. For example, almost everyone keeps a supply of food in their house. The plural of supply is supplies and is used when more than one type of thing is being stored.

• Real-life examples: Hospitals keep a supply of blood to use for emergencies. It is a good idea to keep an ample supply of toilet paper so you never run out. Soldiers are often given a lot of supplies to carry with them in case of problems.
• Used in a sentence: The grocery story was running low on its supply of milk.

Where does supply come from?

The first records of the verb supply come from around 1325. It ultimately comes from the Latin verb supplēre, which means “to fill up.” The first records of the noun come from around 1420. It comes from the verb.

Did you know ... ?

What are some other forms related to supply?

• supplier (noun)
• unsupplied (adjective)
• well-supplied (adjective)

What are some synonyms for supply?

• furnish
• provide
• contribute
• equip
• stockpile
• store
• inventory

What are some words that share a root or word element with supply? 

• supply and demand
• supply chain
• supply-side
• in short supply

What are some words that often get used in discussing supply?

• economics
• demand
• charity
• provider
• surplus
• military
• water
• air

How is supply used in real life?

Supply is a common word that means to give something or means a stored quantity of something.

The Indian Air Force to use HAMMER missiles to further boost the Rafale fighter aircrafts which are arriving in the country amid a dispute with China.

The order for the HAMMER missiles is under process and France has agreed to supply them at a short notice.

— Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) July 23, 2020

CNN: The U.S. coronavirus death toll reached 18,693 on Friday evening, an increase of 2,009 deaths today, which is the most number of deaths in a single day.

This data is supplied by Johns Hopkins University.

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 11, 2020

If there's one rule I believe in as an artist, it's this: keep a supply of tea and cupcakes on hand.

— Joe Hill (@joe_hill) August 1, 2012

Try using supply!

True or False?

If a bakery has a supply of milk, it means it doesn’t have any milk left.