1
: a maker or seller of tallow or wax candles and usually soap
2
: a retail dealer in provisions and supplies or equipment of a specified kind
a yacht chandler

Examples of chandler in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Over the course of two separate stays, first in spring and later in fall, Ms. Ash lodges with a local couple—Denise, a fishmonger, and Lofty, a ship’s chandler—in their cottage overlooking the harbor in Newlyn’s fisherman’s quarter, known as the Fradgan. Heller McAlpin, WSJ, 4 Dec. 2020 Chaplin, a chandler (candle-maker), left England on the Elizabeth & Ann, first settling in what is now Cambridge, Mass., in 1635. Susan Dunne, courant.com, 16 Nov. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English chandeler, from Anglo-French, from chandele candle, from Latin candela

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chandler was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Chandler.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chandler. Accessed 26 Mar. 2025.

Geographical Definition

Chandler

geographical name

city southeast of Phoenix in southwest central Arizona population 236,123

Biographical Definition

Chandler

biographical name

Raymond Thornton 1888–1959 American novelist and screenwriter

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