Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

buyer

American  
[bahy-er] / ˈbaɪ ər /

noun

  1. a person who buys; purchaser.

  2. a purchasing agent, as for a department or chain store.

buyer British  
/ ˈbaɪə /

noun

  1. a person who buys; purchaser; customer

  2. a person employed to buy merchandise, materials, etc, as for a shop or factory

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of buyer

First recorded in 1150–1200, buyer is from the Middle English word beger, bier. See buy, -er 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But the high rate of homes passed on after death is distorting the state’s housing market, favoring longtime homeowners and their families over all other home buyers.

From The Wall Street Journal

China is the primary buyer of Iran’s oil.

From Barron's

“It would hit not only Western consumers but also China and regional buyers. It is a blunt instrument.”

From MarketWatch

High home prices and elevated mortgage rates kept many aspiring home buyers on the sidelines, and many homeowners from selling their properties, in 2025.

From MarketWatch

Still, with more American buyers demanding this type of transparency, Chinese trading companies have to play ball or risk losing business, lawyers say.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.