stationery
MediumNeutral to formal; common in retail, office, and educational contexts.
Definition
Meaning
Materials for writing, such as paper, envelopes, pens, and related office or school supplies.
Can refer to the business of selling such materials, or high-quality, branded writing paper.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Homophone with 'stationary' (meaning not moving), a common source of confusion. 'Stationery' specifically relates to writing materials.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Meaning is identical. The word 'stationer' (a seller of stationery) is slightly more common historically in UK contexts.
Connotations
In both, can imply either basic office supplies or elegant, personalised writing paper.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[verb] stationery (e.g., order, buy, stock)stationery [noun] (e.g., stationery cupboard, stationery shop)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No specific idioms. The word itself is not typically used idiomatically.]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Refers to consumable supplies like paper, envelopes, and pens used in an office.
Academic
Used for materials needed by students and staff, e.g., listed on a school supply list.
Everyday
Shopping for pens, notepads, and cards. 'I need to pop to the stationery shop.'
Technical
Less common; more likely in procurement or retail inventory contexts.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [Not applicable. Stationery is a noun.]
American English
- [Not applicable. Stationery is a noun.]
adverb
British English
- [Not applicable.]
American English
- [Not applicable.]
adjective
British English
- [Not applicable as a standalone adjective. Can be used attributively: 'stationery cupboard', 'stationery costs'.]
American English
- [Not applicable as a standalone adjective. Can be used attributively: 'stationery department', 'stationery budget'.]
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I bought new stationery for school: a notebook and two pencils.
- The stationery shop sells pens and paper.
- Our company orders all its stationery from a single supplier to save money.
- She received personalised stationery for her birthday, with her name printed at the top.
- The procurement manager was tasked with reducing stationery costs by 15% this fiscal year.
- Elegant, engraved stationery is still used for formal correspondence in some diplomatic circles.
- The shift to digital workflows has dramatically reduced the volume of routine stationery consumption in modern offices.
- The museum's gift shop sells beautiful stationery featuring reproductions of antique maps.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Stationery (with an 'e') is for Envelopes. Or: You write a letter on stationEry.
Conceptual Metaphor
WRITING IS A STATIONARY/STABLE ACTIVITY (historically linked to a 'stationer', a tradesperson with a fixed shop, as opposed to an itinerant seller).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with 'станция' (train station). The Russian word for stationery is 'канцелярские товары' or simply 'канцелярия'.
Common Mistakes
- Confusing it with 'stationary' (not moving). Misspelling it as 'stationary'. Using it as a verb (it is only a noun).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence uses 'stationery' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Stationery' (with an 'e') refers to writing materials. 'Stationary' (with an 'a') means not moving.
It can, especially in the context of personalised or fancy writing paper. However, its broader meaning includes all writing and office supplies like pens, envelopes, and staples.
No, it is an uncountable noun. You cannot have 'a stationery'. You can have 'a piece of stationery' or, more commonly, refer to 'some stationery' or 'stationery items'.
A stationer. A shop that sells these items is a stationery shop or a stationer's.
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