Meaning & use
OEM
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Meanings
abbreviationcountablebusiness
Short for original equipment manufacturer: a company that makes parts or products that another company then sells under its own brand or builds into its own goods.
Grammar: Refers to the company: the OEM supplies the part; two OEMs compete for the contract.
Patterns
- an OEM for something
- an OEM of something
The laptop brand buys its screens from an OEM in Taiwan.
Our supplier is an OEM, so the same speaker also appears in other companies' products.
Several OEMs bid to make the new car's braking system.
abbreviationbefore a nounbusiness
Describing a part that comes from the original maker of a product, as opposed to one made by an outside company as a replacement.
Grammar: Goes before a noun: OEM parts, an OEM charger.
Patterns
- OEM parts
- OEM equipment
The mechanic recommended OEM brake pads rather than cheaper copies.
Using a non-OEM battery may void the warranty.
An OEM charger usually costs more but fits perfectly.
Word forms
| plural | OEMs |
|---|
Common combinations
- OEM parts
- The dealer only fits OEM parts during warranty repairs.
- OEM supplier
- The company is the main OEM supplier for several phone brands.
- OEM contract
- They won an OEM contract worth millions of dollars.
- OEM software
- The computer shipped with OEM software already installed.
- aftermarket versus OEM
- Aftermarket versus OEM is a common debate among car owners.
Synonyms and how they differ
- manufacturer
- This is the general word for any maker, while OEM specifically points to a maker whose goods are built into or sold under another firm's name.
- supplier
- A supplier may only sell goods someone else made, whereas an OEM actually produces them.
- genuine
- Used for parts, genuine stresses that the item is authentic, but OEM stresses who made it and does not guarantee it came from the brand itself.
Opposites
Word family
- ODM abbreviation
- original design manufacturer, a firm that also designs the product it makes for others
- manufacture verb
- to make goods in large quantities
- manufacturer noun
- a company that makes goods
Commonly confused: OEM or ODM?
OEM vs ODM
An OEM builds a product to another company's design; an ODM designs it too, then lets others put their brand on it.
Practice
The tablet is sold under a famous brand, but its screen is made by a smaller firm, an ___.
Choose one answer.
An OEM makes components or products that another brand uses. An ODM also designs the product, which is not stated here, and a retailer only sells goods.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “OEM”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.