merchant

noun mer·chant \ ˈmər-chənt \

Updated on: 12 May 2018

Definition of merchant

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

See merchant defined for English-language learners

See merchant defined for kids

Examples of merchant in a Sentence

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 of merchant from the Web

Alibaba’s been improving on advertising formats for merchants who sell on its platform, investing in cloud computing, buying and revamping grocers and shopping malls and expanding overseas.

— Fortune, "Alibaba Says Its Going to Grow Almost 50% Faster Than Wall Street Expected," 4 May 2018
Interchange fees are set by card networks, including Mastercard, and paid by merchants to the banks that issue cards when consumers shop with them.

— imani moise, WSJ, "Mastercard’s Revenue Boosted by Increased Consumer Spending," 2 May 2018
For Fisherman’s Wharf merchants, Campbell said, these cost-sharing details still need to be hashed out.

— ted andersen, San Francisco Chronicle, "Web of surveillance grows in downtown SF as businesses aid cops," 29 Apr. 2018
Atreus can also revive Kratos once per battle with special items called resurrection stones, which can be purchased with hacksilver from local merchants.

— lisa eadicicco, Time, "Review: The New ‘God of War’ Game Is Different, Bold and Demands Your Attention," 18 Apr. 2018
Major League Baseball scheduling changes will move the game to a Thursday but that's a day Findlay Market is open, plus its a few days before Easter – an important sales day for Findlay's merchants.

— carrie blackmore smith, Cincinnati.com, "There are two Cincinnati Reds Opening Days this year. Which one is for you?," 22 Mar. 2018
Attendees will enjoy six wines paired with cheese, appetizers and desserts from local merchants, organizers said.

— joy davis, Aurora Beacon-News, "Gardeners invited to learn about using ancient plants at home," 22 Feb. 2018
Police released photos from surveillance video provided by merchants.

— cathy locke, sacbee, "Credit card thief targets teachers at Davis schools | The Sacramento Bee," 9 Feb. 2018
Under Marks & Spencer, which bought it in 1988, Brooks Brothers enthusiastically embraced the casual wear boom of the 1990s, as the store’s merchants were told to copy the business-casual look of Banana Republic.

— teri agins, New York Times, "With a Glance Backward, Brooks Brothers Looks to the Future," 21 Apr. 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of merchant

Middle English marchant, from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin *mercatant-, mercatans, from present participle of mercatare to trade, frequentative of Latin mercari — more at market

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First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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merchant Synonyms

Synonyms

dealer, merchandiser, trader, tradesman, trafficker;

Related Words

businessman, enterpriser, entrepreneur;

buyer, marketer, purchaser;

hawker, huckster, hustler, peddler (also pedlar);

retailer, seller, shopkeeper, storekeeper, vendor (also vender);

jobber, middleman, wholesaler;

distributor, provider, provisioner, purveyor, supplier;

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

merchant

adjective

Definition of merchant

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

See merchant defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of merchant from the Web

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

First Known Use of merchant

15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

merchant

verb

Definition of merchant

intransitive verb

archaic : to deal or trade as a merchant

transitive verb

: to deal or trade in

First Known Use of merchant

14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

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MERCHANT Defined for English Language Learners

merchant

noun

Definition of merchant for English Language Learners

: 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.

MERCHANT Defined for Kids

merchant

noun mer·chant \ ˈmər-chənt \

Definition of merchant for Students

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

2 : storekeeper 1

Law Dictionary

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