supply chain

noun

plural supply chains

: the chain of processes, businesses, etc. by which a commodity is produced and distributed : the companies, materials, and systems involved in manufacturing and delivering goods

The pandemic has disrupted nearly every aspect of the global supply chain—that's the usually invisible pathway of manufacturing, transportation and logistics that gets goods from where they are manufactured, mined or grown to where they are going. At the end of the chain is another company or a consumer who has paid for the finished product.

—Peter S. Goodman

Everyday life in the United States is acutely dependent on the perpetual motion of the supply chain, in which food and medicine and furniture and clothing all compete for many of the same logistical resources. … [W]hen a finite supply of packaging can't keep up with demand, when there aren't enough longshoremen or truck drivers or postal workers, when a container ship gets wedged sideways in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes—the effects ripple outward for weeks or months, emptying shelves and raising prices in ways that can seem random. All of a sudden, you can't buy kettlebells or canned seltzer.

—Amanda Mull

Examples of supply chain in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Get commitments to build - and indeed share rights to - smart supply chains, roads, commercial centers, education hubs, entertainment, a healthcare system, the works. —Trefis Team, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025

Related Articles ​The seismic shifts in trade are not just about avoiding higher tariffs, but also about sourcing strategies that directly influence supply chains and, ultimately, the prices consumers pay. —Arthur Zaczkiewicz, WWD, 3 Mar. 2025

Aligns with Risk Management: Resilience capabilities directly address rising supply chain and operational risks associated with climate change, cyber threats and global uncertainty. —Mit Somaiya, Sourcing Journal, 3 Mar. 2025

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Housing Market Index indicates that builder confidence has dropped due to concerns about rising costs, supply chain disruptions and uncertainty around tariffs. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for supply chain

• aeroplane
• appertain
• ascertain
• capitaine
• cassegrain
• cellophane
• chatelaine
• counterpane
• entertain
• gethsemane
• halothane
• hurricane