comprador

noun

com·​pra·​dor ˌkäm-prə-ˈdȯr How to pronounce comprador (audio)
variants or compradore
1
: a Chinese agent engaged by a foreign establishment in China to have charge of its Chinese employees and to act as an intermediary in business affairs
2

Examples of comprador in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web His grandfather was a comprador, or business intermediary, for Jardine Matheson, the British trading house, in its dealings between China and colonial Hong Kong. Jonathan Kandell, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2020 His father, a comprador for Sassoon, another powerful British trading house, went broke during the 1930s and moved to Southeast Asia, leaving his family behind in poverty. Jonathan Kandell, BostonGlobe.com, 30 May 2020 His great uncle was Sir Robert Hotung, the rich Eurasian comprador, who was the first Chinese man to live on Hong Kong's Peak, a wealthy district where only Westerners had been allowed to reside. Paul French, CNN, 30 May 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'comprador.' 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

Portuguese comprador, literally, buyer

First Known Use

1840, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of comprador was in 1840

Dictionary Entries Near comprador

Cite this Entry

“Comprador.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/comprador. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.

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