customer

A2 Topic:Business & Commerce

US /ˈkʌs.tə.mɚ/ UK /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/ See IPA manual

Freq #2889

Meanings

1

noun
A person or company that buys goods or services from a shop or business.

The shop was full of customers during the holiday sale.
2

noun
A regular buyer who keeps coming back to the same business.

She has been a loyal customer at this bakery for years.
3

noun
A person of a particular type that you have to deal with (informal).

The new manager turned out to be a tough customer.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a person or company that... client

Word family

Forms customers

Derived forms custiecustomer-orientedcustomer-to-customercustomercentriccustomerizecustomerlesscustomerlikecustomershipinvestomermulticustomernoncustomer

Related forms consuetudecostumalcostume custom customarycustomizationcustomizecustoms

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

angry customer
a person buying goods or services who feels strong displeasure

Adjective + noun

Proverbs (2)

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Etymology

From Middle English custumer, from Old French coustumier, costumier (compare modern French coutumier), from Medieval Latin custumarius (“a toll-gatherer, tax-collector”, noun), from custumarius (“pertaining to custom or customs”, adjective), from custuma (“custom, tax”). More at custom. By surface analysis, custom + -er.

custumer Middle English coustumier Old French custumarius la-med

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Business & Commerce Register & Style

External links

# customer

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈkʌs.tə.mɚ/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈkʌs.tə.mə/
**Frequency rank:** 2889

## Meanings
1. A person or company that buys goods or services from a shop or business.
2. A regular buyer who keeps coming back to the same business.
3. A person of a particular type that you have to deal with (informal).

## Examples
- The shop was full of customers during the holiday sale.
- She has been a loyal customer at this bakery for years.
- The new manager turned out to be a tough customer.

## Derived Forms
- custie
- customer-oriented
- customer-to-customer
- customercentric
- customerize
- customerless
- customerlike
- customership
- investomer
- multicustomer
- noncustomer

## Related Forms
- consuetude
- costumal
- costume
- custom
- customary
- customization
- customize
- customs

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: custumer
- Root: coustumier
- Root: custumarius

## Etymology
From Middle English custumer, from Old French coustumier, costumier (compare modern French coutumier), from Medieval Latin custumarius (“a toll-gatherer, tax-collector”, noun), from custumarius (“pertaining to custom or customs”, adjective), from custuma (“custom, tax”). More at custom. By surface analysis, custom + -er.

## AI Etymology
customer comes from Middle English custumer, from Old French coustumier, costumier (compare modern French coutumier), from Medieval Latin custumarius (“a toll-gatherer, tax-collector”, noun), from custumarius (“pertaining to custom or customs”, adjective), from custuma (“custom, tax”). More at custom. By surface analysis, custom + -er. The historical chain includes Middle English custumer, Old French coustumier, la-med custumarius. Current senses include A person or company that buys goods or services from a shop or business and A regular buyer who keeps coming back to the same business. English relatives and later formations include custie, customer-oriented, customer-to-customer, consuetude, costumal.

## Topics
- Business & Commerce
- Register & Style

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