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)

intransitive verb

archaic : to deal or trade as a merchant

transitive verb

: to deal or trade in

Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about merchant

Keep scrolling for more

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

Photo: Juan Carlos for The Wall Street Journal Farmers, merchants, bankers and business moguls have been unlikely mainstays of Mr. Ortega’s support in recent years, but now his standing with them is decaying. — John Otis, WSJ, "Nicaraguan Leader’s Former Pro-Business Allies Want Him Out," 10 July 2018 In most states, those merchants are responsible for calculating and paying the various state taxes if they are owed. — Adam Liptak, New York Times, "Supreme Court Widens Reach of Sales Tax for Online Retailers," 21 June 2018 But several merchants were very enthusiastic about Edison, seeing all the new customers as positive for business. — Lynn Horsley, kansascity, "Would Edison project in downtown Overland Park add to ‘cool’ factor or hurt charm?," 20 Jan. 2018 Amazon, too, often competes with merchants that use its online marketplace. — The Economist, "A new school in ChicagoHow regulators can prevent excessive concentration online," 28 June 2018 This could be a costly proposition for small merchants who sell across the country but who haven’t had to invest in tax attorneys before. — Alana Semuels, The Atlantic, "Will a New Supreme Court’s Decision Change Online Shopping?," 21 June 2018 On the Caribbean island of Margarita, soldiers in olive green uniforms and rifles slung over their shoulders openly wander the market each morning begging merchants for fruits and vegetables. — Washington Post, "Empty stomachs drive Venezuela soldiers to desert in droves," 18 May 2018 Perhaps the biggest boost came to a newly public company called Avalara Inc. that makes a type of tax-compliance software many smaller merchants may now need. — Laura Stevens, WSJ, "Supreme Court Rules States Can Collect Sales Tax on Web Purchases," 22 June 2018 Many third-party merchants who use the service to sell their own goods on Amazon's sites still do not charge sales tax. — Michael D. Shear, Anchorage Daily News, "Trump, after denouncing Amazon’s shipping deal, orders review of Postal Service," 13 Apr. 2018

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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about merchant

Dictionary Entries near merchant

Statistics for merchant

Last Updated

9 Nov 2018

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for merchant

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

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for merchant

merchant

noun

English Language Learners Definition of merchant

: someone who buys and sells goods especially in large amounts

: the owner or manager of a store

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

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