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inventory

IN-vuhn-tor-ee /ˈɪnvəntɔːri/

nounverbC1GREGMATCAT

professionalbusiness

A complete list of items, property, or goods in stock, or the act of making such a list.

Implies a highly detailed, systematic, and official record of items, often for legal, insurance, or business purposes.

The story behind the word. From Latin 'inventarium' (a list of things found), from 'invenire' (to find). It was originally a legal list of a deceased person's assets found in their estate.

Word relationships

catalog: A catalog is often a descriptive list designed for exhibition or sale, whereas an inventory is a functional list for tracking assets.
manifest: A manifest is specifically a list of cargo or passengers on a vehicle, while an inventory is a general list of possessions.

Commonly confused with

invoice: An invoice is a bill sent to a customer for payment, while an inventory is a list of physical items currently held.

Word family

inventoried (verb): Having been listed in an inventory.
inventorying (verb): The act of creating an inventory.

Collocations

take inventory
detailed inventory
inventory control
property inventory

Idioms & expressions

take stock of

Example sentences

"We made a detailed inventory of every box to ensure nothing went missing during the cross-country move." Moving preparation
"The store manager conducted a weekly inventory of the warehouse stock." Business management

Memory hook

An 'inventory' is a list of things you 'invent' (find) in your house. List what you find to inventory your mind.

When not to use

Do not use for a simple, casual shopping list.

Fun facts

In medieval Europe, an inventory was legally required before an estate could be passed on to heirs, to prevent tax evasion.