in bulk

in bulk — idiom

1. buying, selling, or producing something in very large amounts, typically to get

1.idiomB2
Definition

buying, selling, or producing something in very large amounts, typically to get a lower price per unit or to save time on repeated small orders.

Example

Wei buys rice in bulk from the wholesale market and shares the cost with neighbours.

buy + in bulk; shares cost

The clinic orders medical gloves in bulk every month to keep the hospital running smoothly.

order + in bulk; frequency marker

Common collocations
  • buy in bulk
  • sell in bulk
  • purchase in bulk
  • order in bulk
  • produce in bulk
  • ship in bulk
Synonyms
  • in large quantities

    more formal; used in written business contexts

  • wholesale

    specifically about buying from a wholesaler, not just large amounts

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

buy / sell / order / produce + in bulk

Usage Note

Commonly follows verbs of commerce — buy, sell, order, ship, produce, purchase, manufacture. The phrase itself never changes form; it always appears as 'in bulk'.

Common Mistakes

I bought bulk of vegetables.
I bought vegetables in bulk.
The phrase is always 'in bulk', not just 'bulk' alone.
We sell products with bulk.
We sell products in bulk.
Use 'in', not 'with'.

2. sold as a single large amount without being divided into pre-packaged units, so

2.idiomB2
Definition

sold as a single large amount without being divided into pre-packaged units, so that customers take only what they need.

Example

Camila buys almonds in bulk from a shop that lets customers fill their own bags.

buy + [product] + in bulk; fill-your-own-bag context

The health food shop sells grains and dried beans in bulk from large glass jars.

sell + in bulk; unpackaged context

Common collocations
  • sold in bulk
  • buy in bulk
  • available in bulk
  • grains in bulk
  • soap in bulk
Synonyms
  • loose

    common in UK grocery contexts, e.g. 'loose tea' or 'loose vegetables'

  • unpackaged

    more formal; focuses on the absence of wrapping

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

sell / buy + [product] + in bulk

Usage Note

This sense focuses on the physical form of the product (unpackaged), not on the quantity. A customer can buy a small weight of loose goods and still get them 'in bulk' because they come from an unpackaged bin.

Common Mistakes

I bought bulk rice.
I bought rice in bulk.
Even when used as a modifier, the phrase stays 'in bulk' after the noun.

Synonym discussion

Sense: idiom/1

'In bulk' is the most common everyday phrase for buying many units of a product at once, usually at a discount. 'In large quantities' is more formal and tends to appear in reports or academic writing about trade. 'Wholesale' is narrower — it refers specifically to buying from a distributor who sells to businesses, not to the general public. 'In volume' is used in corporate and manufacturing settings, often as an adverb ('we purchase in volume'). 'En masse' carries a different connotation — it describes people moving or acting together, not goods. For example: 'The school buys stationery in bulk each term' (everyday), 'The factory purchases raw materials in volume to negotiate better contracts' (corporate).

in large quantitieswholesale ↗in volumeen masse

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'bulk' comes from the Old Norse 'bulki', meaning a heap or cargo. It entered Middle English through Scandinavian trade routes, where merchants referred to goods loaded in large heaps on ships as 'in bulk'. By the 17th century, the phrase was used for any unbroken large quantity of goods, and later expanded to include retail contexts where unpackaged goods are scooped directly from a larger supply.