inventory

/ˌɪnvənˈtɔri/

/ˈɪnvɛntɔri/

Other forms: inventories; inventoried; inventorying

An inventory is an itemized list of everything you have. So you better take inventory of what’s in the fridge before going grocery shopping. Otherwise you'll end up with more jars of mustard that you don't need.

The noun form of inventory developed in the early 15th century from the Middle French inventaire, meaning “detailed list of goods.” It's most commonly used in retail: a shop's inventory is everything that they have in stock, ready to sell. You can also use inventory as a verb when you want to describe the act of listing out the merchandise or supplies you have on hand.

Definitions of inventory

1. noun

   a detailed list of all the items in stock
   synonyms: stock list

   types:

   parts inventory

   an inventory of replacement parts

   type of:

   list, listing

   a database containing an ordered array of items (names or topics)
2. noun

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

   register

   a book in which names and transactions are listed
3. noun

   making an itemized list of merchandise or supplies on hand
   “an inventory may be necessary to see if anything is missing”

   “they held an inventory every month”

   synonyms: inventorying, stock-taking, stocktaking

   types:

   stock-take, stocktake

   an instance of stocktaking

   type of:

   itemisation, itemization, listing

   the act of making a list of items
4. noun

   a collection of resources
   synonyms: armory, armoury

   type of:

   imagination, resource, resourcefulness

   the ability to deal resourcefully with unusual problems
5. noun

   the merchandise that a shop has on hand
   “they carried a vast inventory of hardware”

   “they stopped selling in exact sizes in order to reduce inventory”

   synonyms: stock

   type of:

   merchandise, product, ware

   commodities offered for sale
6. verb

   make or include in an itemized record or report
   “Inventory all books before the end of the year”

   synonyms: stock-take, take stock

   type of:

   list

   include in a list