supply
- 01 B1 Intermediate
v.to give or sell something to someone who needs it.
v.to provide or make something available for use, typically on a large scale or over a period of time.
Simple“The local farm supplies the supermarket with fresh vegetables every morning.”
In context“The regional utility company supplies electricity to over two million households across the province.”
UsageCommonly used with the preposition 'with' for the recipient or 'to' for the item.
PitfallThe company supplies to us the parts. The company supplies us with the parts.Use the pattern 'supply someone with something' or 'supply something to someone'.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.an amount of something that is ready to be used.
n.a quantity of something provided or available for use.
Simple“We have a large supply of water in the basement in case of an emergency.”
In context“The sudden increase in demand exhausted the existing supply of timber, causing prices to spike across the construction industry.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the amount of a product that is available for people to buy.
n.the total amount of a specific good or service that is available to consumers at a particular price.
Simple“The price of gold changes based on supply and demand.”
In context“Economists argue that when supply exceeds demand, market prices inevitably drop to encourage further consumption.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 04 B1 Intermediate
n.the tools, food, or other things you need for a specific task or trip.
n.necessary items or provisions required for a specific purpose, often used in the plural.
Simple“The children bought their school supplies, including pens and notebooks, before the first day.”
In context“The expedition team spent weeks gathering medical supplies and non-perishable food for the journey across the desert.”
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a teacher who works for a short time when the regular teacher is away.
n.a person, especially a teacher, who acts as a temporary substitute for another.
Simple“Our regular maths teacher is sick, so we have a supply teacher today.”
In context“The school relies heavily on supply staff during the winter months when seasonal illnesses are more common.”
Synonyms
Usage supply chain · supply chains · supply management
From Middle English supplien, borrowed from Old French soupleer, souploier, from Latin suppleo (“to fill up, make full, complete, supply”). The Middle English spelling was modified to conform to Latin etymology.
From supple + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.