Meaning & use
confectioners
Last updated
“confectioners” is a form of “confectioner”.
Meanings
nounplural
People or businesses that make and sell candies and other sweet treats.
Grammar: Plural of 'confectioner'; use it for more than one person or business.
The confectioners on this street sell handmade chocolates and caramels.
Several local confectioners have started using less sugar in their recipes.
noununcountableAmerican
A very fine white sugar that dissolves easily, used in baking and for dusting desserts.
Grammar: Usually written 'confectioners' sugar' in American English; takes a singular verb.
Patterns
- confectioners' sugar
Dust the cake with confectioners' sugar before serving.
The recipe calls for one cup of confectioners' sugar.
Word forms
| singular | confectioner |
|---|
Common combinations
- confectioners' sugar
- She sprinkled confectioners' sugar over the cookies.
- a confectioners' shop
- They bought fudge at a small confectioners' shop.
- master confectioner
- The master confectioner trained for years in Paris.
Synonyms and how they differ
- candy maker
- A plain everyday term; 'confectioner' sounds more formal or professional.
- chocolatier
- Specifically makes chocolate; a confectioner may make many kinds of sweets.
Word family
- confection noun
- A sweet food or candy.
- confectionery noun
- Sweets in general, or the business of making them.
- confectioner noun
- One person or business that makes sweets.
Commonly confused: confectioners or confectionary?
confectioners vs confectionary
A less common variant spelling; 'confectionery' is the usual noun for sweets.
Practice
Which sentence uses the word correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed phrase is 'confectioners' sugar' with an apostrophe after the s. Option 1 misses the apostrophe; option 2 uses the wrong plural/verb form; option 3 is ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “confectioners”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.