purveyor

noun

pur·​vey·​or (ˌ)pər-ˈvā-ər How to pronounce purveyor (audio)
ˈpər-ˌvā-
Synonyms of purveyor
1
: one that purveys
2
: victualler, caterer

Examples of purveyor in a Sentence

a purveyor of kitchen supplies
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The drunken Ken spends his time on such things as warbling a karaoke version of a 4 Non Blondes song while an unkempt Ryu is a purveyor of ramen so bad even a stray cat won’t eat it. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026 Peter Cho, chief marketing officer of the Sleep Spa, surmises that their mattresses first became a status symbol in 1952, when the company became the official purveyor to the royal court by King Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden. — Jaklin Romine oct. 15, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026 The beloved emporium is filled with more than a dozen purveyors and eateries, including Hog Island Oyster Bar, The Olive Press, and Johnny Doughnuts. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026 Seeing the internet’s foremost disciple of glow meet the internet’s foremost purveyor of good lighting, though, feels quite satisfying—who else needs another excuse to update that Sephora cart? — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for purveyor

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purveyor was in the 14th century

Rhymes for purveyor

See All Rhymes for purveyor

Browse Nearby Words

purveyance
purveyor
purview
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purveyor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purveyor. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on purveyor

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for purveyor

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?
See More

Popular

See More

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All