sale
High-frequencyNeutral - used across all registers from everyday conversation to formal business.
Definition
Meaning
The exchange of a commodity or service for money; the act of selling.
The period of time when goods are offered at a reduced price. It also refers to a formal event for selling items (e.g., garage sale, auction sale). In law, a transaction or contract where property is transferred from seller to buyer for a price.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The word is a deverbal noun from 'sell'. It primarily denotes an event or process, but can also refer to the aggregate of such transactions (e.g., 'Sales are up this quarter').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Both varieties use the word identically. In business contexts, 'sales' (plural) as a department name is universal. The event 'jumble sale' (UK) is similar to 'rummage sale' (US).
Connotations
Neutral and identical in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high-frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
the sale of [NOUN] (the sale of property)[NOUN] for sale (house for sale)[NOUN] on sale (shoes on sale)[PREP] sale (at a sale)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on sale or return”
- “a fire sale”
- “for sale by owner (FSBO)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Crucial term. Refers to transactions, revenue events, or departments (Sales Department). Formal contracts use 'Sale and Purchase Agreement'.
Academic
Used in economics, law, and business studies to discuss market transactions and commercial law.
Everyday
Commonly refers to discounted shopping periods or items being offered for purchase (e.g., 'Is this on sale?').
Technical
In law, a specific type of contract. In retail, a planned promotional event with price reductions.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The shop has a big sale today.
- Is this car for sale?
- I bought this shirt in the sale.
- The winter sale starts next Friday.
- They made a sale of their old furniture online.
- The house was put up for sale last week.
- The company reported a record sale of electric vehicles last quarter.
- The sale of the painting was finalized at auction.
- All items in the clearance sale are non-refundable.
- The controversial sale of public assets to private investors sparked a political debate.
- Under the terms of the sale, the buyer assumed all existing liabilities.
- Proceeds from the charity sale will be donated to local shelters.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a 'SAIL' boat. Imagine a boat with a price tag, sailing away after its SALE.
Conceptual Metaphor
COMMERCE IS WAR (closing a sale, sales targets, sales campaign). A COMMODITY IS A MOVING OBJECT (goods flying off the shelves).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Не путать с 'sail' (парус).
- В русском 'сейл' — заимствование, означающее именно 'распродажа', в то время как английское 'sale' шире.
- В выражении 'for sale' — 'продаётся', а не 'для продажи' в смысле цели.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing 'for sale' (available to buy) and 'on sale' (available at a reduced price).
- Using plural 'sales' as a singular noun (*'a sales was made').
- Misspelling as 'sell' when the noun is needed.
Practice
Quiz
What does 'on sale' typically imply in a retail context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'For sale' means an item is available to be purchased. 'On sale' usually means it is available at a discounted price, though in some contexts (e.g., US department stores) it can also mean newly available for purchase.
It is generally countable when referring to specific events or instances (e.g., 'two sales this week'). It can be uncountable in the sense of the activity of selling (e.g., 'the law governing the sale of goods').
'Sales' (plural) often refers to the total number of transactions or revenue generated over a period ('Sales have increased'), or to the department/activity responsible for selling ('She works in sales').
No, the verb form is 'sell'. 'Sale' is only a noun. A common error is using 'sale' as a verb (e.g., *'I will sale my car').
Collections
Part of a collection
Shopping
A2 · 50 words · Vocabulary for buying and selling goods.