noun

customer

KUHS-tuh-mer/ˈkʌstəmər/

A person dealing with a supplier of goods or services.

The customer chooses vegetables and pays the vendor at the produce stall.

An adult shopper chooses vegetables and pays a vendor at a small produce stall, clear buyer role, blank bags and unlettered stall.

Etymology

The connection to habit is repeat business: a customer was someone who customarily bought from the same tradesman or guild. The buyer sense no longer requires that regular relationship.

In context

The Long Chronicle6:38

Essential transactions had to pass through enough of that chain for the goods to reach the customer.

What Happened When Roosevelt Shut Down The Banks: 1933

More examples

The cafe offers regular customers a discount.
As a bank customer, you can check your balance online.
Please contact customer service if your order arrives damaged.

Forms

customer · customers

Similar words

buyer: Emphasizes making a purchase rather than an ongoing business relationship.
client: Often suggests an ongoing relationship with a professional service provider.
patron: Often describes a regular customer of a particular establishment.