Definition

Noun: 1. The business or activity of providing food and drink, typically for events: This refers to the service of preparing, delivering, and sometimes serving food for a specific occasion, such as a wedding, conference, or party. 2. The provision of what is needed or desired: In a broader, often more formal sense, it can mean the action of providing or supplying what someone wants or requires.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Service for events):

  • We hired a professional catering company for our wedding reception.
  • The conference fee includes catering for all three days.
  • She works in catering and manages large corporate events.

• Noun (Provision of needs):

  • The magazine is catering to a younger audience. (Note: Here, "catering" is the present participle of the verb 'to cater', illustrating the related concept of providing for needs).
  • The store's success is due to its catering to local tastes.

Advanced Usage

• "in-house catering": Food service provided by the venue's own staff and kitchen, rather than by an external company.
  • The hotel offers excellent in-house catering for business meetings.
• "catering to": (Verb phrase) The act of providing a service or product that is specially designed to meet the needs or desires of a particular group.
  • The new software is catering to the needs of graphic designers.

Variants and Related Words

• Cater (verb): To provide food and drink for an event; or to provide what is wanted or needed by someone.
  • Who will cater the office party?
  • TV shows that cater to a teenage market.
• Caterer (noun): A person or company that provides food and drink for events.
  • The caterer arrived early to set up.

Synonyms

• Food service: (Specifically for the provision of food and drink).
• Provision: (For the general act of supplying needs).
• Victualling: (A more formal or old-fashioned term for supplying food).

Related Phrases

• Catering truck / catering van: A vehicle equipped to transport and sometimes prepare food for events.
  • The catering van delivered lunches to the construction site.
• Catering hall / catering facility: A venue designed or used primarily for hosting events that require catering services.
  • They booked a catering hall for the anniversary celebration.

Noun

1. providing food and services