customer
Pluralcustomers
- 1A person or company that buys goods or services from a business, whether regularly or now and then, or that plans to do so.
The company surveyed each customer after the sale.
Loyal customers received early access to the new collection.
UsageFor professional services people usually say client (a lawyer's client), and hotels say guest.
- 2A person of a particular sort, usually described with an adjective, especially one that others have to deal with.
Their lead negotiator proved a slippery customer at the table.
The old tomcat was an awkward customer around visitors.
UsageAlmost always with an adjective: a tough customer, a cool customer, a tricky customer, usually someone hard to handle.
Note
Herman Wouk's The Winds of War (1971) has "a pretty tough customer," and Rail in 2020 calls a transport secretary "a tricky customer" for questioning spending.
Less common meaning
- 3A local official who collected the customs duties owed on traded goods.
The Customer should come and visit them.
1615, Sir T. Roe, Hak. Soc. i. 44
Use it in a sentence
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Origin
The word comes from Middle English customere, from Old French coustumier, from Medieval Latin custumarius, which as a noun meant 'a toll-gatherer or tax-collector' and as an adjective meant 'pertaining to custom or customs', ultimately from custuma ('custom, tax'). It can also be analysed simply as 'custom' plus the suffix '-er'.
Checked 5 Nov 2026 · 3 facts
- Customer comes from Middle English customere. en.wiktionary.org
- The derivation runs through Old French coustumier and Medieval Latin custumarius, meaning a toll-gatherer or tax-collector as a noun and pertaining to custom or customs as an adjective, from custuma meaning custom or tax. en.wiktionary.org
- Customer can also be analysed as custom plus the suffix -er. fr.wiktionary.org