by trade
idiom
—used when indicating someone's job, especially a job that requires special training and skills and is done by using the hands
I am a carpenter/electrician/beautician by trade.
Examples of by trade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Seas pile up in some spots, pushed by trade winds or pulled by gravity toward big things like ice sheets.
—
Chris Mooney, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Just last week, Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester, reported a drop in sales that was directly affected by trade disputes with Canada.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2025
Probst, an engineer by trade and his own admission, was almost exclusively asked about his role in developing the Next Gen car — the stock car used by the NASCAR Cup Series — and why NASCAR decided to develop and institute it.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Dec. 2025
The 61-year-old is an engineer by trade, earning a mechanical engineering degree from the University of New Mexico before getting her MBA at Cornell in the late ‘80s, according to her LinkedIn.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by trade
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Chris Mooney, CNN Money, 17 Dec. 2025
Just last week, Brown-Forman, the company behind Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, and Old Forester, reported a drop in sales that was directly affected by trade disputes with Canada.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2025
Probst, an engineer by trade and his own admission, was almost exclusively asked about his role in developing the Next Gen car — the stock car used by the NASCAR Cup Series — and why NASCAR decided to develop and institute it.
—Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 11 Dec. 2025
The 61-year-old is an engineer by trade, earning a mechanical engineering degree from the University of New Mexico before getting her MBA at Cornell in the late ‘80s, according to her LinkedIn.
—Solcyré Burga, Time, 10 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for by trade
Cite this Entry
“By trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/by%20trade. Accessed 20 Dec. 2025.
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