Meaning & use
supply
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
An amount of something available for use.
Grammar: Often with of: a supply of water.
Patterns
- a supply of something
- in short supply
The town has a good water supply.
Food supplies ran low.
Clean water is in short supply.
noununcountablebusiness
The amount of goods or services offered for sale, compared with demand.
Grammar: Economics term.
Patterns
- supply and demand
Prices rise when supply drops.
Supply and demand set the price.
Supply of housing is limited.
verbtransitive
To provide something needed to someone or something.
Grammar: Takes an object: supply someone with something.
Patterns
- supply someone with something
- supply something to someone
The farm supplies the shop with eggs.
The company supplies parts to carmakers.
Schools supply books.
Word forms
| plural | supplies |
|---|---|
| third person singular | supplies |
| past tense | supplied |
| past participle | supplied |
| -ing form | supplying |
Common combinations
- supply chain
- The supply chain was disrupted.
- in short supply
- Fuel was in short supply.
- supply and demand
- Prices follow supply and demand.
- water supply
- The water supply was cut.
- supply with
- They supply us with fresh bread.
Synonyms and how they differ
- provide
- Provide is more general.
- stock
- Stock is goods held by a seller.
- furnish
- Furnish is formal.
- reserve
- Reserve is kept for later.
Opposites
Word family
- supplier noun
- a firm that supplies goods
- supplies noun
- necessary items
- supplementary adjective
- additional
Commonly confused: supply or supple?
supply vs supple
Supple means flexible, and is pronounced with a different stress.
Practice
The shop ___ local hotels with fresh bread.
Choose one answer.
Supply someone with something means provide it. The others have different meanings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “supply”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.