purchase order
- noun
- /ˈpɜrʧəs ˈɔrdər/
- Formal
- EDI enables management to receive immediate reports concerning purchase orders, invoices, and expected payment dates.
- purchase order system
- generate a purchase order
- send a purchase order
Examples
-
Second, an order is placed by generating a purchase order and mailing it to the seller.
Academic text (1990) -
When I need to do a financial transaction, I generate the purchase order on my computer.
Academic text (2003) -
"If I want to purchase something, I can go through the university purchase order system or through a company account.
Academic text (2000) -
After receiving the purchase order, the seller keys the information into its computer system.
Academic text (1990) -
The seller, upon receipt of a purchase order, keys the information into its computer system.
Academic text (1990) -
You'll be verifying his purchase orders pending my approval and consulting with him on budget estimates.
-
This is the purchase order for my boron silicate hydroxide, which I have been trying to put through your department for the better part of a month.
-
Before receiving the shipment, I must confirm the purchase order with the supplier.
-
The accountant printed a detailed purchase order for the office supplies we needed.
-
Once approved, the purchase order is sent to the vendor to finalize the transaction.
Synonyms
A request for goods or services to be delivered
A printed or online page you fill to ask for goods and services
Antonyms
How Secure
- Formal
- Formal
- Specialized
- Formal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'purchase' (buying) + 'order' (a request for goods) yields a document instructing a seller to supply items to be bought. This noun–noun compound follows a common commercial pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Purchase order comes from a simple image: a buyer writes an order to purchase goods, like a formal shopping list that names items, amounts, and prices. That's why today a purchase order is the document a buyer sends to a seller to show what to send and how much to charge.