Standard Lemma guide

inventory

noun · verb · 12 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.

  • UK: /ˈɪn.vən.tɹi/
  • UK: /ɪnˈvɛn.tə.ɹi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, US: /ˈɪn.vənˌtɔɹ.i/
  • Canada, US: /ˈɪn.vənˌtɹi/
  • Australian: /ˈɪn.vən.tɹi/
  • New-Zealand: /ənˈven.t(ə).ɹi/
  • New-Zealand: /ˈən-/
  • General-South-African: /ˈɪn.vən.tri/
  • General-South-African: /ˈɪn.vənˌtɔɹ.i/
  • CMU ARPABET: IH2 N V AH0 N T AO1 R IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: operations

Examples

  • Due to an undersized inventory at the Boston outlet, customers had to travel to Providence to find the item.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A detailed list of all of the items on hand.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: operations

Examples

  • The inventory included several items that one wouldn't normally think to find at a cheese shop.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The process of producing or updating such a list.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: operations

Examples

  • This month's inventory took nearly three days.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A space containing the items available to a character, especially in a video game, for immediate use.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • You can't get through the underground tunnel if there are more than three items in your inventory.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

The total set of a (specified) linguistic feature (within a language etc.)

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonology, sciences

Examples

  • Germanic languages have a marked tendency towards large vocalic inventories.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Qualifier: operations

Examples

  • The main job of the night shift was to inventory the store, and restock when necessary.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

making an itemized list of merchandise or supplies on hand

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • an inventory may be necessary to see if anything is missing
  • they held an inventory every month

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: inventorying, stocktaking, stock-taking

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: listing, itemization, itemisation

Narrower terms: stocktake, stock-take

8

noun

Meaning 8

the merchandise that a shop has on hand

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • they carried a vast inventory of hardware
  • they stopped selling in exact sizes in order to reduce inventory

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stock

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: merchandise, ware, product

9

noun

Meaning 9

a collection of resources

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he dipped into his intellectual armory to find an answer

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: armory, armoury

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: resource, resourcefulness, imagination

10

noun

Meaning 10

a detailed list of all the items in stock

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stock list

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: list, listing

Narrower terms: parts inventory

11

noun

Meaning 11

(accounting) the value of a firm's current assets including raw materials and work in progress and finished goods

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: register

12

verb

Meaning 12

make or include in an itemized record or report

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • Inventory all books before the end of the year

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: take stock, stock-take

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: list

History

Etymology

From Middle English inventorie, from Medieval Latin inventōrium, alteration of Late Latin inventārium, from Latin inveniō (“to find out”).

Across languages

Translations

141 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Albanian: inventar — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Arabic: جَرْد (jard) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Belarusian: інвента́р (invjentár) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Belarusian: запа́сы (zapásy) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Bulgarian: инвента́р (inventár) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Catalan: inventari — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Chinese Mandarin: 庫存 /库存 (kùcún) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Chinese Mandarin: 儲存 /储存 (chǔcún) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Czech: zásoba — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Czech: inventář — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Dutch: voorraad — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Dutch: inventaris — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Esperanto: inventaro — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Finnish: varasto — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • French: inventaire — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • German: Inventar — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • German: Lager — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • German: Vorräte — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Hebrew: מְלַאי (mlay) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Hungarian: készlet — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Hungarian: árukészlet — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Hungarian: raktár (in the phrase raktáron van) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Indonesian: inventaris — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Italian: scorta — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Japanese: 在庫 (zaiko) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Korean: 재고 (jaego) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Macedonian: за́лиха (záliha) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Macedonian: инвента́р (inventár) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Malay: inventori — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Polish: inwentarz — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Polish: zapasy — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Portuguese: inventário — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Portuguese: existências — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Romanian: inventar — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Russian: инвента́рь (inventárʹ) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Russian: запа́сы (zapásy) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Serbo-Croatian: инвѐнта̄р — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Serbo-Croatian: invèntār — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Slovak: zásoba — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Slovak: inventár — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Slovene: zaloga — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Spanish: inventario — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Swedish: lager — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Swedish: inventarier — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Tagalog: talatinggalan — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Turkish: envanter — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Ukrainian: інвента́р (inventár) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Ukrainian: запа́си (zapásy) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Uyghur: زاپاس (zapas) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Uyghur: قالدۇق (qalduq) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Uyghur: ئامبار زاپىسى (ambar zapisi) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Uyghur: خەزىنە قالدۇقى (xezine qalduqi) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Uyghur: ئىسكىلات قالدۇقى (iskilat qalduqi) — stock of an item on hand at a particular location or business
  • Belarusian: рэе́стр (rejéstr) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Belarusian: спіс (spis) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Belarusian: пералі́к (pjeralík) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Bulgarian: о́пис (ópis) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Catalan: inventari — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Chinese Mandarin: 目錄 /目录 (mùlù) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Czech: inventář — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Dutch: inventaris — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Esperanto: inventaro — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Finnish: varastoluettelo — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Finnish: inventaari — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Finnish: pesäluettelo — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Galician: inventario — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • German: Inventar — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • German: Inventarliste — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • German: Inventarverzeichnis — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Hungarian: leltár — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Hungarian: kimutatás — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Indonesian: inventaris — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Italian: inventario — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Japanese: 目録 (mokuroku) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Japanese: 表 (hyō) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Korean: 목록 (mongnok) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Korean: 표 (pyo) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Latin: inventārium — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Malay: inventori — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Māori: rārangi taputapu — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Polish: inwentarz — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Portuguese: inventário — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Russian: рее́стр (rejéstr) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Russian: спи́сок (spísok) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Russian: пе́речень (pérečenʹ) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Russian: о́пись (ópisʹ) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀пис — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Serbo-Croatian: инвѐнта̄р — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòpis — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Serbo-Croatian: invèntār — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Slovak: inventár — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Slovene: inventar — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Spanish: inventario — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Swedish: inventarieförteckning — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Swedish: lagersaldo — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Swedish: inventering — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Tagalog: talatinggalan — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Turkish: envanter — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Ottoman Turkish: دفتر (defter) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Ottoman Turkish: پوصوله (pusula) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Ukrainian: реє́стр (rejéstr) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Ukrainian: спи́сок (spýsok) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Ukrainian: пере́лік (perélik) — detailed list of all of the items on hand
  • Bulgarian: инвентариза́ция (inventarizácija) — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Catalan: inventari — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Czech: inventura — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Dutch: inventariseren — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Esperanto: inventarado — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Finnish: inventointi — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Galician: inventario — process of producing or updating such a list
  • German: Inventur — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Hungarian: leltár — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Hungarian: leltározás — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Italian: inventario — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Polish: inwentarz — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Portuguese: inventário — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Russian: инвентариза́ция (inventarizácija) — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Russian: о́пись (ópisʹ) — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Russian: переучёт (pereučót) — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Russian: учёт (učót) — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̀пис — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Serbo-Croatian: pòpis — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Slovak: inventarizácia — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Slovak: inventúra — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Spanish: inventario — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Swedish: inventering — process of producing or updating such a list
  • Bulgarian: инвентаризи́рам (inventarizíram) — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Catalan: inventariar — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Chinese Mandarin: 清點 /清点 (qīngdiǎn) — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Chinese Mandarin: 盤點 /盘点 (pándiǎn) — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Dutch: inventariseren — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Finnish: inventoida — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • French: inventorier — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Galician: inventariar — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • German: Inventur machen — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Hungarian: leltároz — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Portuguese: inventariar — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Portuguese: fazer o inventário — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Russian: инвентаризи́ровать (inventarizírovatʹ) — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Spanish: inventariar — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
  • Swedish: inventera — to take stock of the resources or items on hand; to produce an inventory
Real reading context

inventory in complete knowledge articles