broker

noun

bro·ker ˈbrō-kər

Synonyms of broker next

: one who acts as an intermediary: such as

: an agent who arranges marriages

: an agent who negotiates contracts of purchase and sale (as of real estate, commodities, or securities)

: power broker

: one who sells or distributes something

an information broker

broker verb

Examples of broker in a Sentence

the broker in the hostage situation was a prominent reporter that the gunman felt he could trust all of the local yacht brokers were at the boat show

Recent Examples on the Web The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid has reported a big rise in complaints about the marketing of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, often due to their brokers. —

Byrichard Eisenberg, Fortune Well, 21 Sep. 2023 Companies involved in this practice have become known as data brokers. —

Khristopher J. Brooks, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2023 Tehran has refused to talk directly with Washington, requiring third parties to help broker discussions. —

John Hudson, Washington Post, 18 Sep. 2023 The brokers surged out of the exchange, stumbling pell-mell over each other in the general confusion, and reached their respective offices in racehorse time. —

Mickey Butts, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023 An alternative broker could only find policies over $300,000 per year. —

Leslie Kaufman, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Sep. 2023 In Baja California, Mexican Mafia members act as brokers, the sources said, arranging for traffickers to send drugs — mostly methamphetamine — to contacts in California and elsewhere in the United States. —

Matthew Ormseth, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023 An automotive data broker called High Mobility cited in the report has a partnership with nine of the car brands Mozilla studied. —

Dhruv Mehrotra, WIRED, 9 Sep. 2023 In leading Senate Republicans, McConnell is viewed by the White House and Democrats as a potentially more pragmatic broker who is more interested in avoiding a messy government shutdown that could be politically damaging to the GOP. —

Lisa Mascaro, Fortune, 5 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'broker.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, negotiator, from Anglo-French brocour

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of broker was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Broker.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/broker. Accessed 2 Oct. 2023.

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Kids Definition

broker

noun

bro·ker ˈbrō-kər

: a person who acts as an agent in the purchase and sale of property

Legal Definition

broker

noun

bro·ker ˈbrō-kər

: an agent who negotiates contracts of sale (as of real estate or securities) or other agreements (as insurance contracts or mortgages) between the parties for a fee or commission compare dealer, finder

Note: An insurance broker differs from an insurance agent in that a broker is usually considered an agent of the insured, even though he or she may receive a commission from an insurance company. A broker may sell the products of a number of insurers, and an insurer has no liability for a broker's wrongful actions. A securities broker often acts also as a dealer and so is often referred to as a broker-dealer.