grocery

IPA/ˈɡrəʊsəri/
KK[ɡrˈosɚi]IPA/ˈɡrəʊsəri/

grocery — noun

  • grocerysingular
  • groceriesplural

1. a small store where customers buy food, drinks, and everyday household items suc

1.nounA2
Definition

a small store where customers buy food, drinks, and everyday household items such as soap or cleaning products

Example

The new grocery on Elm Street stays open until midnight.

collocation: grocery on [street name]

Obi stopped by the grocery to buy bread and eggs for breakfast.

Common collocations
  • corner grocery
  • local grocery
  • neighbourhood grocery
  • grocery on the corner
Synonyms
  • grocer's

    British term for a small food shop, often refers to the shop of a single grocer

  • supermarket

    a much larger self-service store with a wider range of goods

  • corner shop

    British English; a small local shop, often on a street corner

  • market

    a general term; can refer to an outdoor market or a shop selling food

Usage Note

In British English, 'grocery' in this sense is less common than 'grocer's' or 'corner shop' for a small food store. In American English, 'grocery store' is the standard term for any shop where you buy food and household supplies, whether a small store or a large supermarket.

Common Mistakes

I bought some grocery from the market.
I bought some groceries from the market.
When referring to food items, always use the plural form 'groceries'.
The grocer's is a type of grocery.
The grocer's is a type of shop.
'Grocery' already means the shop; you do not need to explain it as 'a type of grocery'.

2. the food, drinks, and household items that people regularly buy from a shop or m

2.nounA2
Definition

the food, drinks, and household items that people regularly buy from a shop or market for their home

Example

Adina went to the supermarket to buy groceries for the week.

plural form: groceries for weekly household needs

Putri carried the bags of groceries into the kitchen and began unpacking.

Common collocations
  • buy groceries
  • pick up groceries
  • put away groceries
  • grocery list
  • grocery bag
  • grocery shopping
  • grocery bill
Synonyms
  • food

    broader term that includes all edible items, not just those from a shop

  • provisions

    more formal; often used for supplies for a journey or emergency

  • household supplies

    focuses on non-food items like cleaning products

Usage Note

This sense is most commonly used in the plural form 'groceries' to refer to the items themselves. The singular 'grocery' appears mainly as a modifier in compounds such as 'grocery list', 'grocery bag', 'grocery bill', and 'grocery shopping'.

Common Mistakes

I bought three groceries from the store.
I bought three items of groceries from the store.
'Groceries' is uncountable; use 'items of groceries' or name the items instead.
Please put the grocery away.
Please put the groceries away.
Use the plural form when referring to the food items being put away.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

'Groceries' refers specifically to the food, drinks, and household items you buy during regular shopping trips. 'Food' is a much broader word covering everything edible — what you eat at a restaurant, ingredients for cooking, or snacks. 'Provisions' sounds more formal and is often associated with preparing for a trip or storing emergency supplies. 'Supplies' is the widest of the group and includes non-food items like paper towels and cleaning products. In everyday conversation, 'groceries' is the most natural choice: 'I need to pick up some groceries on the way home' sounds casual and routine, whereas 'I need to buy provisions' makes you sound like you are stocking a cabin for winter. Use 'food' when the focus is on eating, and 'supplies' when you are referring to general household needs.

groceries ↗food ↗provisions ↗supplies ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Prepositions

Etymology

Old FrenchMedieval LatinEnglish

The word 'grocery' comes from Old French 'grosserie', meaning 'goods sold by a wholesaler', which in turn comes from 'grossier' (a wholesaler), from Medieval Latin 'grossarius'. The original meaning referred to goods sold in bulk. Over time it shifted to mean the shop itself and the everyday food items sold there.