customer
- 01 A1 Beginner
a person who buys things from a shop or business.
a person or organisation that purchases goods or services from a business.
Simple“The shop was busy with customers buying gifts for the holiday.”
In context“The manager implemented a new loyalty programme to encourage repeat customers and improve overall satisfaction scores.”
PitfallThe shop has many clients every morning. The shop has many customers every morning.Use 'customer' for shops and restaurants; 'client' is usually for professional services like lawyers or accountants.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a person you have to deal with, often described by their personality.
a person of a specified kind, especially one that someone has to deal with or interact with.
Simple“Be careful with that dog; he can be a tough customer if he doesn't know you.”
In context“The negotiator was known for being a cool customer, never losing his temper even during the most heated debates.”
UsageUsually preceded by an adjective like 'tough', 'cool', or 'slippery' to describe a person's temperament.
Synonyms
customer vs client — A customer pays for goods or one-off services, while a client pays for ongoing professional expertise and advice.
Usage customer service · customer base · customer experience
From Middle English custumer, from Old French coustumier, costumier (compare modern French coutumier), from Medieval Latin custumarius (“a toll-gatherer, tax-collector”, noun), from custumarius (“pertaining to custom or customs”, adjective), from custuma (“custom, tax”). More at custom. By surface analysis, custom + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.