retail

1 of 4

verb

re·​tail ˈrē-ˌtāl How to pronounce retail (audio)
 especially for sense 2 also  ri-ˈtāl
retailed; retailing; retails

transitive verb

1
: to sell in small quantities directly to the ultimate consumer
2

intransitive verb

: to sell at retail
retailer noun

retail

2 of 4

noun

re·​tail ˈrē-ˌtāl How to pronounce retail (audio)
: the sale of commodities or goods in small quantities to ultimate consumers
also : the industry of such selling

retail

3 of 4

adjective

re·​tail ˈrē-ˌtāl How to pronounce retail (audio)
: of, relating to, or engaged in the sale of commodities at retail
retail trade

retail

4 of 4

adverb

re·​tail ˈrē-ˌtāl How to pronounce retail (audio)
: in small quantities : from a retailer
Phrases
at retail
1
: at a retailer's price
2

Examples of retail in a Sentence

Verb We retail clothing at the best possible prices. jewelry that retails from $100 Noun She has a job in retail. Adjective Is that price retail or wholesale? Adverb You usually have to pay more if you buy something retail than if you buy it wholesale. The product sells retail for about $100.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Also available is the Signet Havana Flip Ring set in sterling silver with emerald pavé, matte gold and diamonds, which retails for $2,200. Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 That means cars such as Tesla’s Model 3, which retails for $38,990 in the U.S., would cost almost $80,000 in India. Dylan Sloan, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 Given its roots in performance and motorsports, the company also has a Performance pack version of the Polestar 3, which retails for $79,400 ($80,800 with destination). Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 13 Mar. 2024 Tambour self-winding watch with integrated bracelet, which retails for $52,000. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 Order Confirmed To get a sense of how influencers are luring consumers in the US and Europe to buy fakes directly from China, consider a hypothetical counterfeit pair of Rick Owens designer sneakers, which typically retail for more than $1,000. Louise Matsakis, WIRED, 10 Mar. 2024 The reality star uploaded a picture of her private jet parked right behind her Tesla Cybertruck, which retails for up to $96,390, with only emoji of an alien and a purple alien monster in the caption. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 5 Mar. 2024 The pricing is quite attractive compared to the cost of a new pair of sneakers, which retails for $170 on average. Clara Ludmir, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Lynn Reaser, economist YES: The plan creates a good balance between hotels, restaurants and retailing with 20.6 acres of parks, plazas and open space. Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Mar. 2024
Noun
The first phase of the project called for four multifamily buildings totaling 500 units, 320,000 square feet of retail and a 125-key hotel. The Enquirer, 19 Mar. 2024 Hotels, retail, bars and restaurants also saw an increase in sales tax collected during the games. Corina Vanek, The Arizona Republic, 19 Mar. 2024 Princess Kate’s black sweatshirt with orange accents has since been identified as an Umbro Men England Rugby Icon Hoodie, which the Royal Fashion Police on Instagram reported retails for $72 and is from a past season. Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 19 Mar. 2024 Rachel’s mom now works for a defense contractor, while her dad is in retail and marketing. George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Mar. 2024 Lange explains in her book that the problem was a glut of them—America just had so much space to build shopping centers, compared with other countries, and then along came Amazon and every other kind of online retail. Margaret Talbot, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2024 The project also has an 184-room Marriott Residence Inn and ground-floor retail. George Avalos, The Mercury News, 8 Mar. 2024 Up next, Huntsville will welcome Front Row, an 11-acre, $325 million mixed-use development that will include restaurants, a boutique hotel, retail, entertainment, and several public spaces. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Williams has helmed the radio division since 2010 but now will add the commercial partnerships team — which works on retail, catalog and direct-to-consumer efforts — to her dailies. Marc Schneider, Billboard, 1 Mar. 2024
Adjective
San Diego’s unemployment rate held steady in February with modest job gains in the region’s higher paying industries and losses in the retail sector. Natallie Rocha, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Mar. 2024 Using public data on profits in the grocery retail industry, the F.T.C. found that in the first three quarters of 2023, food and beverage retailer revenues reached 7 percent over total costs. Madeleine Ngo, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2024 However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. Latifah Muhammad, Billboard, 21 Mar. 2024 Jordan Berke, a former Walmart executive, told Bloomberg that the retail giant has a history of studying consumer behavior to better grasp what luxury shoppers actually want—and the effort is clearly paying off. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2024 Shakil Kamran attended a Salesforce conference in 2017, set on trying to break into tech and transition out of his retail management career, which regularly involved 60-hour weeks and left little time to spend with his son. Samantha Masunaga, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 But McDuffie said that proposal would have probably come at the expense of the city’s retail sportsbooks. Michael Brice-Saddler, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, more chains said retail theft is hurting results and some blamed it for shutting stores. Jeannette Neumann, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 The measure also eases restrictions that have been blamed for fostering a lax police response to retail and property crimes. Hannah Wiley, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'retail.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French retaille cutting, deduction, retail, from retailler to cut out, from re- + tailler to cut — more at tailor

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1601, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1784, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retail was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near retail

Cite this Entry

“Retail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retail. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

retail

1 of 4 verb
re·​tail ˈrē-ˌtāl How to pronounce retail (audio)
: to sell in small amounts to people for their own use
retailer noun

retail

2 of 4 noun
: the sale of products or goods in small quantities to people for their own use

retail

3 of 4 adjective
: of, relating to, or engaged in selling by retail
retail stores

retail

4 of 4 adverb
: in small quantities : from a retailer

More from Merriam-Webster on retail

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!