Meaning & use
external suppliers
Last updated
Meaning
phrasepluralbusiness
companies or individuals outside an organization that provide it with goods or services
Grammar: Always plural in this form; use 'external supplier' for one company.
Patterns
- use external suppliers
- rely on external suppliers
- work with external suppliers
- external suppliers of something
The factory relies on external suppliers for most of its parts.
We are reviewing our contracts with external suppliers.
External suppliers must meet the same quality standards as our own teams.
Word forms
| singular | external supplier |
|---|
Common combinations
- rely on external suppliers
- The company relies on external suppliers for raw materials.
- work with external suppliers
- Our department works with external suppliers on a daily basis.
- manage external suppliers
- She manages external suppliers and negotiates prices.
- external suppliers of goods
- They are external suppliers of office furniture.
- contract with external suppliers
- We contract with external suppliers for IT support.
Synonyms and how they differ
- outside suppliers
- Very close in meaning; 'outside suppliers' is slightly more informal and common in speech.
- third-party vendors
- Often used in business and legal writing; it emphasizes that the suppliers are separate companies, not just external to your team.
- contractors
- Usually refers to people or firms providing services under a contract, not necessarily goods; narrower than 'external suppliers'.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: external suppliers or external stakeholders?
external suppliers vs external stakeholders
External stakeholders are any outside parties affected by a company, including customers and communities; external suppliers are specifically providers of goods or services.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'external suppliers' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option A fits because external suppliers are outside providers of goods. Option B is wrong because 'external' means outside, not inside; option C uses the plural form for one person.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “external suppliers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.