vendors

NOUN

person who sells wares

Synonyms

STRONGEST

dealer hawker merchant peddler

STRONG

businessperson huckster pitcher traveler

WEAK

outcrier traveling salesperson

Antonyms

STRONGEST

customer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for vendor?

Vendor is a word for a person, company, or other entity that sells things. When it’s an individual person selling things from a stall in a street market, the term street vendor is often used. More old-fashioned words for a person who sells things on the street include peddler and hawker. Perhaps the closest synonym for vender is seller. It gets at exactly what a vendor does—sells things—and it can be used for both individuals and companies. Similar words include merchant and retailer. More specific words include dealer and supplier, which both are most often used in the context of businesses that sell to other businesses. (They’re sometimes also used in illegal contexts.)

What is a third party vendor?

The term third party vendor refers to a business that is authorized to provide goods or services to customers on the behalf of the main business. The term third party is used because the additional business is tangential to the transactional relationship between the primary business and the customer. Another word for third party vender is third party seller. For example, the retailer Amazon features many third party sellers, some of which you can also buy from directly without using Amazon’s fulfillment services.

How do you use vendor in a sentence?

The word vendor is a common word in the context of commerce involving all kinds of businesses. Here are some examples of vendors in a sentence:

The fair had hundreds of food vendors offering all kinds of delicious fried foods —it was heaven.
Vendors across the region have been seeing their sales increase by large margins.
We reached out to our vendors to inquire about the shipping delays.

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.

See Examples For:

vendors

Today, street vendors line Broadway, setting up place mats and selling small quantities of fruits and vegetables.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

The vendors posted flyers and made an occasion of it.

From Salon ● Aug. 4, 2026

At a recent market on the lawn of the Michigan State Capitol building, several vendors sold out of fresh produce before closing time, she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

As vendors offer more AI-powered workflows and customers spend more on AI capabilities, both are prioritizing return on investment.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026

The only party the Nielsens host is an annual open-house buffet lunch on New Year’s Day for their vendors.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline