Customer Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms customer American [kuhs-tuh-mer] / ˈkʌs tə mər /

noun

1. a person who purchases goods or services from another; buyer; patron.

2. Informal. a person one has to deal with.

   a tough customer; a cool customer.

customer British / ˈkʌstəmə /

noun

1. a person who buys

2. informal a person with whom one has dealings

   a cool customer

"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 customer Idioms

1. see ugly customer.

Etymology

Origin of customer

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; custom + -er 1; compare Middle English customer “collector of customs,” from Anglo-French; Old French costumier, cognate with Medieval Latin custumārius; customary

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.

According to local news, more than 115,000 Xcel customers were without power last week because of high winds and extreme fire conditions.

From The Wall Street Journal

Long-suffering Golden State power customers already pay the highest electricity rates in the lower 48 states.

From The Wall Street Journal

Restaurants are challenged now, he said, because of weak customer traffic and rising costs that have dented eateries’ bottom line.

From The Wall Street Journal

She began in the finishing department, cleaning and packing items before they were shipped to customers.

From The Wall Street Journal

Metrick may not directly respond to all customer complaints, she added, but the company addresses all issues that are escalated to management.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• client
• consumer
• patron
• purchaser

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.