English

Noun

purchasing agent ‎(plural purchasing agents)

1. A person or group whose job is to buy equipment, supplies, inventory, or other assets for a business or other organization.
   • 1861, "Report of the Secretary of the Navy," New York Times, 4 Dec. (retrieved 21 Oct. 2008):

     Subjoined is a statement from the purchasing agent at New-York, with a schedule giving the name, tonnage, price demanded, and cost actually paid of every vessel that has been bought by him.

   • 1960, "Nettled Nickel-Nipper," Time, 4 Apr.:

     Since taking over as mayor last January, Lee has . . . forced the resignation of the city purchasing agent because he bought $10,000 worth of water pipe without asking for bids.

   • 2004, Khalid Hasan, "Pakistan mired in another nuclear scandal," Daily Times, 25 May (retrieved 21 Oct. 2008):

     The newspaper claims to have “confirmed” that Humayun Khan’s family import-export business, Pakland Corp., was a purchasing agent for Pakistan’s nuclear programme.

Synonyms

• buyer