grocery

noun

gro·cery ˈgrōs-rē

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē

plural groceries

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Retail and grocery Major US retailers and grocers — such as Target, Walmart and Kroger — will be open on MLK Day. —

Ramishah Maruf, CNN, 19 Jan. 2025 Many of his economic promises were aimed squarely at Americans who have struggled with the rising costs of housing, groceries and other goods. —

Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2025 One of the largest grocery chains in the country, Kroger’s sales were roughly $150 billion in 2023. —

Kate Marijolovic, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Jan. 2025 Despite the gunky roads (and panniers filled with groceries), the aluminum-frame bike performed great, and the hydraulic disc brakes provided plenty of stopping power in wet conditions. —

Ars Technica, 17 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for grocery

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of grocery was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century