supply chain

American

[suh-plahy cheyn] / səˈplaɪ ˌtʃeɪn /

noun

the series of growers, manufacturers, distributors, shippers, etc., involved in producing goods of a particular kind and bringing them to market.

A typical supply chain from fiber to garment has up to seven players spread across the globe—more, if processes like dyeing or printing are subcontracted.

supply chain British

noun

marketing a channel of distribution beginning with the supplier of materials or components, extending through a manufacturing process to the distributor and retailer, and ultimately to the consumer

"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 supply chain

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

The firm's success was also critical to supporting the wider supply chain in the region, with many local firms providing parts for the vehicles.

From BBC

Tom Stacey, senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, who works in supply chain and manufacturing research, said the company was operating within an "upper middle class squeeze".

From BBC

The U.S. efforts of Apple and its suppliers are modest relative to the global semiconductor supply chain, and Apple’s purchases represent a small percentage of its total demand for chips.

From The Wall Street Journal

The “supply chain risk” designation bars Anthropic from government business; the company plans to challenge it in court.

From Barron's

It provided a forceful response External link to the War Department’s labeling of the company a “supply chain risk.”

From Barron's

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