merchant

noun

mer·chant | \ ˈmər-chənt

Definition of merchant

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a buyer and seller of commodities for profit : trader

2 : the operator of a retail business : storekeeper

3 : one that is noted for a particular quality or activity : specialist a speed merchant on the base paths

merchant

adjective

Definition of merchant (Entry 2 of 3)

1 : of, relating to, used in, or engaged in commerce The city's reputation, though, is as a merchant city in this nation historically known for its traders.— Peter Theroux

2 : of, relating to, or used in a merchant marine part of the merchant fleet One hundred years ago, a group of 11 senators blocked a bill that would have allowed U.S. merchant ships to arm themselves against German U-boats as World War I raged in Europe.— James Hohmann

merchant

verb

merchanted; merchanting; merchants

Definition of merchant (Entry 3 of 3)

transitive verb

: to deal or trade in

intransitive verb

archaic : to deal or trade as a merchant

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about merchant

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Examples of merchant in a Sentence

Noun

Merchants traveled hundreds of miles to trade in the city. a family of wealthy merchants The town's merchants closed their shops during the parade. Prizes were given by local merchants.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The author of that story was Barbara Hansen, a longtime Times staff writer and contributor who filed her first story in 1969 on an Olvera Street merchant who had just published a Mexican recipe book. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, "For over 137 years, no newspaper has covered Mexican food better than the L.A. Times," 17 Sep. 2019 Several of the center’s merchants will be handing out samples and coupons and hosting other activities throughout the afternoon. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "11 things to do this weekend: KAABOO Del Mar, Hispanic Heritage Month, Santee Bluegrass Festival and more," 13 Sep. 2019 At the Speedway Fairgrounds, residents, family, and friends are invited to enjoy live music, special performances, food and merchant vendors, a classic car show, demonstrations, exhibits, contests and more. — courant.com, "Community News For The Stafford Edition," 13 Sep. 2019 All three merchants fielded questions on how much of their revenue comes from Amazon compared with other online platforms. — BostonGlobe.com, "Amazon probed by US antitrust officials over marketplace - The Boston Globe," 12 Sep. 2019 There will be performances from international and local music acts, an Africa arena, a wide variety of ethnic cuisine from all corners of the continent, merchant craft, made-in-Africa accessories and fashion, games, raffles and fun for all ages. — Houston Chronicle, "Family Fun: Houston Jerk Fest, The Greatest Love of All: A Tribute to Whitney Houston," 12 Sep. 2019 Because Catholic Portugal, and later France, expanded the trans-Atlantic slave trade, both priests and slave merchants followed in their wake. — Joseph Hellweg, Quartz Africa, "Africa’s Catholic Church faces competition and a troubled legacy even as it grows," 12 Sep. 2019 Citing three merchants, the report says multiple attorneys and an economist have been conducting interviews that last 90 minutes. — Brett Molina, USA TODAY, "Amazon facing antitrust probe over its marketplace, report says," 11 Sep. 2019 One of the roots of property insurance was that of late-Middle Ages merchants from Venice who would sail in convoys to Constantinople and who would agree that if one ship from among 12 or 15 sank, all of the ship-owners agreed to share the loss. — Edward Lotterman, Twin Cities, "Real World Economics: What Dorian tells us about risk and scale," 8 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

So basically merchant refineries should not be the ones that have to purchase these credits or blend the ethanol. — Jacob Weisberg, Slate Magazine, "The Obscure EPA Rule That Brought Down a Trump Adviser," 23 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'merchant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near merchant

Statistics for merchant

Last Updated

12 Oct 2019

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for merchant

The first known use of merchant was in the 13th century

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More Definitions for merchant

merchant

noun

English Language Learners Definition of merchant

(Entry 1 of 2)

somewhat old-fashioned : someone who buys and sells goods especially in large amounts

chiefly US or Scotland : the owner or manager of a store

informal : someone who is known for a particular quality, activity, etc.

merchant

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of merchant (Entry 2 of 2)

: used for or involved in trading goods

See the full definition for merchant in the English Language Learners Dictionary

merchant

noun

mer·chant | \ ˈmər-chənt

Kids Definition of merchant

1 : a person who buys and sells goods especially on a large scale or with foreign countries

2 : storekeeper sense 1

merchant

noun

mer·chant | \ ˈmər-chənt

Legal Definition of merchant

: a person who trades in goods especially of a certain kind and possesses expertise in the area of the goods and the practices of trading in them or who employs others with such expertise a warranty that the goods shall be merchantable is implied in a contract for their sale if the seller is a merchant with respect to goods of that kind — Uniform Commercial Code