sale

[ seyl ]

noun

1. the act of selling. sell. selling.
2. a quantity sold. sell. sold.
3. opportunity to sell; demand:

   slow sale.

4. a special disposal of goods, as at reduced prices.
5. transfer of property for money or credit.
6. an auction.

Sale

¹

/ seɪl /

noun

1. a town in NW England, in Trafford unitary authority, Greater Manchester: a residential suburb of Manchester. Pop: 55 234 (2001)
2. a city in SE Australia, in SE Victoria: centre of an agricultural region. Pop: 12 854 (2001)

Salé

²

/ sale /

noun

1. a port in NW Morocco, on the Atlantic adjoining Rabat. Pop: 880 000 (2003)

sale

³

/ seɪl /

noun

1. the exchange of goods, property, or services for an agreed sum of money or credit
2. the amount sold
3. the opportunity to sell; market

   there was no sale for luxuries

4. the rate of selling or being sold

   a slow sale of synthetic fabrics

5. 1. an event at which goods are sold at reduced prices, usually to clear old stocks
   2. ( as modifier )

      sale bargains

6. an auction

Other Words From

• inter·sale noun
• non·sale noun
• subsale noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of sale¹

First recorded before 1050; Middle English; late Old English sala; cognate with Old Norse, Old High German sala; sell ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sale¹

Old English sala, from Old Norse sala. See also sell

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. for sale, offered to be sold; made available to purchasers.
2. on sale, able to be bought at reduced prices.

More idioms and phrases containing sale

see close the sale ; on sale ; white sale .

Example Sentences

While there are lags in sales, the tendency is to continually check in with people.

From Digiday

This right-of-sale dynamic appears to be particularly acute in the free, ad-supported streaming TV market.

From Digiday

Business publisher Quartz had to close its London office space after ad sales halved in May, cutting 40% of its global workforce.

From Digiday

Facebook Shops is an e-commerce feature that lets businesses list products for sale across its apps via virtual storefronts.

From Digiday

Our online and direct-to-consumer sales are up 700% since January, but our in-store retail sales are down 75%.

From Fortune

Tickets go on sale to the public January 15; check back then for a link and an early peek at the inspiring lineup of speakers.

From The Daily Beast

In October, news broke that Regal hired Morgan Stanley to explore a possible sale.

From The Daily Beast

Dee Dee candles, rosaries, shirts and prints are offered for sale near the gallery's door as a kind of consolation.

From The Daily Beast

Its first sale was a Dan Colen work, which sold for “something like $120,000 or $150,000.”

From The Daily Beast

But perhaps the most spectacular lot in the sale is a silver jug, a birthday present to Churchill from his War Cabinet in 1942.

From The Daily Beast

He conceived an idea of securing agents among the colored people, and in that way effect a good sale.

From Project Gutenberg

Fruit-trees are clearly too scarce, though Cherries in abundance were offered for sale as we passed.

From Project Gutenberg

He continued its sale, however, as a kingly monopoly, allowing only those to engage in it who paid him for the privilege.

From Project Gutenberg

The duty on importation had been only twopence per pound, a moderate sum in view of the prices realized by the sale of it.

From Project Gutenberg

We are going to send our butler to the sale to-morrow, to pick up some of that sixty-four.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• auction
• business
• buying
• deal
• demand
• marketing
• purchase
• reduction
• selling
• trade
• transaction