stock-in-trade
noun
ˌstäk-ən-ˈtrād 
ˈstäk-ən-ˌtrād
1
: the equipment, merchandise, or materials necessary to or used in a trade or business
2
: something that resembles the standard equipment of a tradesman or business
humor was her stock-in-trade as a writer
Examples of stock-in-trade in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Under the auspices of veteran programmer and interim festival director Nam Dong-chul, the lineup continues Busan’s stock-in-trade of Asian film and talent discovery.
—
Patrick Frater, Variety, 4 Oct. 2023
Canet is unexpectedly affecting as Mathieu’s debonair charm, for so long his stock-in-trade, suddenly seems inadequate in the face of Alice’s honesty, just as his career insecurities feel trivial.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023
Insights like this—surprising, personal, a bit ornery, and which thoroughly reconsider and reframe our relationship to food—are Kennedy’s stock-in-trade.
—Hazlitt, 16 Aug. 2023
Mostly, though, Ted was just lurking on the periphery of other characters’ stories, looking sad, and only occasionally even offering the sort of corny but endearing dad jokes that were his previous stock-in-trade.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2023
That experience, though, helped their set, which filled the Gobi tent with the type of can’t-stand-still-dancing exuberance that’s become Chromeo’s stock-in-trade.
—Jeff Miller, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
Patrick Frater, Variety, 4 Oct. 2023
Canet is unexpectedly affecting as Mathieu’s debonair charm, for so long his stock-in-trade, suddenly seems inadequate in the face of Alice’s honesty, just as his career insecurities feel trivial.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Sep. 2023
Insights like this—surprising, personal, a bit ornery, and which thoroughly reconsider and reframe our relationship to food—are Kennedy’s stock-in-trade.
—Hazlitt, 16 Aug. 2023
Mostly, though, Ted was just lurking on the periphery of other characters’ stories, looking sad, and only occasionally even offering the sort of corny but endearing dad jokes that were his previous stock-in-trade.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 31 May 2023
That experience, though, helped their set, which filled the Gobi tent with the type of can’t-stand-still-dancing exuberance that’s become Chromeo’s stock-in-trade.
—Jeff Miller, Variety, 17 Apr. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stock-in-trade.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near stock-in-trade
Cite this Entry
“Stock-in-trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stock-in-trade. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
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Legal Definition
stock in trade
: the equipment, merchandise, or materials necessary to or used in a trade or business
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