# sale

/ˈseɪɫ/ (US) · /sˈeɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sale
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. exchange for money

noun · CEFR A2

the act of selling something for money.

For teachers: the exchange of goods, services, or property for money or credit.

- The sale of the family home took much longer than they expected.
- The final sale of the subsidiary was delayed by several weeks due to unforeseen regulatory hurdles in the overseas market.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'for sale' to indicate an item is available to buy.

### 2. reduced prices

noun · CEFR A2

a period when a shop sells its products at lower prices than usual.

For teachers: an event during which a retailer offers goods at discounted prices.

- I bought these shoes for half price during the winter sale.
- The department store announced a flash sale to clear out remaining summer inventory before the autumn collection arrived.

Usage: Commonly used with 'in the' (e.g., 'I bought it in the sale').

### 3. amount sold

noun · CEFR B1

the total number of items a company sells.

For teachers: the total amount of goods or services sold during a specific period, often expressed as a currency value.

- The company reported that sales were up by ten percent this year.
- Despite the economic downturn, online sales remained robust, offsetting the losses incurred by the brand's physical retail locations.

Usage: Usually used in the plural ('sales') when referring to a company's total figures.

### 4. auction

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

an event where items are sold to the person who offers the most money.

For teachers: the disposal of property or goods through a public bidding process.

- The historic estate was put up for forced sale by the bank.
- The court ordered a judicial sale of the assets to satisfy the outstanding debts owed to the primary creditors.

## Examples

- I bought this jacket for half price in the winter sale.
- The real estate agent confirmed that the sale of the house would be finalized by Friday afternoon.
- While the summer sale drove a significant increase in foot traffic, the profit margins remained slim due to the aggressive discounting required to clear the old inventory.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.