Standard Lemma guide

catering

noun · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈkeɪt(ə)ɹɪŋ/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈkeɪ.tə.ɹɪŋ/
  • General-American: /ˈkeɪ.tɚ.ɪŋ/
  • General-American: [ˈkeɪ.ɾɚ.ɪŋ]
  • New-Jersey: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K EY1 T ER0 IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The business of providing food and related services; foodservice.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Philippines, UK, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The business of providing such services for special occasions.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: US, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The act of one who caters (to something).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of cater

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

providing food and services

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: occupation, business, job, line of work, line

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

41 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: تَمْوِين (tamwīn) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Belarusian: ке́йтэрынг (kjéjterynh) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Bulgarian: ке́търинг (kétǎring) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Catalan: càtering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Chinese Mandarin: 外燴 /外烩 (wàihuì) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Czech: catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Czech: ketering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Dutch: catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Finnish: ateriapalvelu — the business of providing food and related services
  • Finnish: pitopalvelu — the business of providing food and related services
  • Finnish: catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Finnish: ruokahuolto — the business of providing food and related services
  • French: restauration — the business of providing food and related services
  • French: traiteur — the business of providing food and related services
  • German: Verpflegung — the business of providing food and related services
  • German: Nahrungsversorgung — the business of providing food and related services
  • German: Catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Hebrew: הַסְעַדָה — the business of providing food and related services
  • Hungarian: élelmezés — the business of providing food and related services
  • Hungarian: catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Indonesian: jasa boga — the business of providing food and related services
  • Indonesian: katering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Irish: lónadóireacht — the business of providing food and related services
  • Italian: ristorazione — the business of providing food and related services
  • Japanese: ケータリング (kētaringu) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Korean: 케이터링 (keiteoring) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Macedonian: ке́теринг (kétering) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Malay: katering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Malay: penyajian — the business of providing food and related services
  • Northern Ohlone: wattimak 'ammamak — the business of providing food and related services
  • Persian: کیترینگ (keytering) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Polish: catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Polish: katering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Portuguese: catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Russian: ке́йтеринг (kéjtɛring) — the business of providing food and related services
  • Spanish: servicio banquetero — the business of providing food and related services
  • Spanish: catering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Spanish: cáterin — the business of providing food and related services
  • Spanish: cátering — the business of providing food and related services
  • Spanish: banquetería — the business of providing food and related services
  • Ukrainian: ке́йтеринг (kéjterynh) — the business of providing food and related services
Real reading context

catering in complete knowledge articles