trade

1 of 3

noun

1
a(1)
: the business of buying and selling or bartering commodities : commerce
(2)
: business, market
novelties for the tourist trade
did a good trade in small appliances
b
obsolete : dealings between persons or groups
2
a
: an act or instance of trading : transaction
also : an exchange of property usually without use of money
b
: a firm's customers : clientele
c
: the group of firms engaged in a business or industry
3
a
: an occupation requiring manual or mechanical skill : craft
b
: the business or work in which one engages regularly : occupation
c
: the persons engaged in an occupation, business, or industry
4
: a customary course of action : practice
thy sin's not accidental, but a tradeWilliam Shakespeare
5
: trade wind
usually used in plural
6
: a publication intended for persons in the entertainment business
usually used in plural
7
a
obsolete : a path traversed : way
b
archaic : a track or trail left by a person or animal : tread sense 4

trade

2 of 3

verb

traded; trading

intransitive verb

1
: to give one thing in exchange for another
2
a
: to engage in the exchange, purchase, or sale of goods
b
: to make one's purchases : shop
trades at his store
3
4
obsolete : to have dealings : negotiate

transitive verb

1
a
: to give in exchange for another commodity : barter
also : to make an exchange of
traded places
b
: to engage in frequent buying and selling of (stocks, commodities, etc.) usually in search of quick profits
2
archaic : to do business with
tradable adjective
or less commonly tradeable

trade

3 of 3

adjective

1
: of, relating to, or used in trade
2
a
: intended for or limited to persons in a business or industry
a trade publication
trade sales
b
: serving others in the same business rather than the ultimate user or consumer
a trade printing house
3
or less commonly trades : of, composed of, or representing the trades or trade unions
a trade committee
4
: having a larger softcover format than that of a mass-market paperback and usually sold only in bookstores
trade paperbacks
also : of or relating to the publishing of such books
Phrases
trade on
: to take often unscrupulous advantage of : exploit
traded on their influence … in securing special favorsT. C. Pease
Choose the Right Synonym for trade

business, commerce, trade, industry, traffic mean activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities.

business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Examples of trade in a Sentence

Noun the trade between the two countries Trade accounts for half of our gross national product. The Tigers made a few good trades this season and picked up some promising players. Verb If you don't like your seat, I'll trade with you. I traded seats with her halfway through the show. He was traded to the Yankees. They traded him to the Broncos. I traded my pen for a pencil and kept writing. Their firm specializes in trading bonds. She mostly trades in stocks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The Alliance for Auto Innovation, a large industry trade group, said in a news release that the ramp up to 67% initially proposed by the EPA is too fast for the industry to achieve. Tom Krisher, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 Glasnow, who signed a $136.5-million extension with the Dodgers this offseason following a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays, experienced his own bouts of inconsistency. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2024 Spokespeople for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the LNG trade group CLNG said LNG companies provide copies of their emergency response plans to local emergency and fire departments. Ella Nilsen, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 The charts may not be reproduced without permission from the American Booksellers Association, the trade association for independent bookstores in the United States, and indiebound.org. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 20 Mar. 2024 Almost as soon as international trade had been liberalized, anti-trade tariffs were instituted across Europe. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 Economic Battle Lines: Biden’s $7.3 trillion budget for the next fiscal year offered the nation a glimpse of the diverging directions that retirement programs, taxes, trade and energy policy could take depending on the outcome of the election. Maggie Haberman, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 Nearly 250,000 pages of trade ledgers spanning from 1860 to 1960 provide a different perspective, including details on sales to individual pubs across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Catherine E. Shoichet, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 The Panthers on Friday, hours ahead of the NHL’s 3 p.m. trade deadline, acquired forward Kyle Okposo from the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman prospect Calle Sjalin and a conditional seventh-round pick. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024
Verb
Keenan Allen, the former longtime Charger traded last week to Chicago, watched — along with numerous NFL scouts, coaches and executives — from the sidelines, dressed in Bears blue and orange. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024 Each time they were traded, they would be ordered to shower and use make-up to cover their wounds to fetch a better price for the next scam boss, who would subsequently repeat the cycle of violence and abuse before they were patched up and sold again. TIME, 21 Mar. 2024 Police and prosecutors repeatedly used informants who traded their testimony for deals that cut years off their own sentences. The Enquirer, 21 Mar. 2024 Or will he be traded, with next month’s draft the most realistic deadline? Cam Inman, The Mercury News, 20 Mar. 2024 The Kansas City Chiefs tight end and his brother, Jason, 36, were discussing quarterback Kenny Pickett's rocky exit from the Pittsburgh Steelers after the team traded Pickett, 25, to Jason's former team, the Philadelphia Eagles on Friday. Natasha Dye, Peoplemag, 20 Mar. 2024 The less-expensive shares would begin trading on June 26. Chris Morris, Fortune, 20 Mar. 2024 The announcement comes at a time when Chipotle’s shares are trading at all-time highs. Nicole Goodkind, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024 As the weather starts to warm up, trade your bulky fall boots for breezy slip-ons like these ones that are a classy way to dress up a casual outfit. Taylor Jean Stephan, Peoplemag, 8 Mar. 2024
Adjective
Almost as soon as international trade had been liberalized, anti-trade tariffs were instituted across Europe. TIME, 18 Mar. 2024 Accounting for rising prices, last year's $690 billion two-way trade was 7% lower than the pre-trade war peak in 2018, according to calculations by Alfredo Carrillo Obregon, a research associate at the Cato Institute. David J. Lynch The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 7 Aug. 2023 Accounting for rising prices, last year’s $690 billion two-way trade was 7 percent lower than the pre-trade war peak in 2018, according to calculations by Alfredo Carrillo Obregon, a research associate at the Cato Institute. David J. Lynch, Anchorage Daily News, 7 Aug. 2023 Kind, who represented Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District since his election in 1996, served on the House Ways and Means Committee, a powerful panel that is effectively Congress’ chief tax-writing body, carving out a role on Capitol Hill as a pro-trade Democrat. Lawrence Andrea, Journal Sentinel, 6 Feb. 2023 Enter Email Sign Up Acquired along with Dmitry Orlov in a pre-trade deadline deal with Washington, Hathaway’s ongoing integration into a deep and talented lineup is yet another reason to believe this record-setting year could end with a title. Tara Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, 25 Mar. 2023 But don’t overlook the Mavericks’ faster, more instinctual offensive pace and 3-0 record in games with Irving but without Doncic as signs of Irving’s post-trade impact. Callie Caplan, Dallas News, 20 Mar. 2023 Collaborative networks that foster easy communication channels across firms and influencer networks or that provide integrated execution and management options, including pre- and post-trade analytics further illustrate unbundled benefits. Bob Casey, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2023 One jumbotron interview to appreciate his fourth consecutive All-Star berth and the Mavericks’ post-trade deadline outlook with Kyrie Irving on board. Dallas News, 19 Feb. 2023

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

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Middle Low German; akin to Old High German trata track, course, Old English tredan to tread

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 7b

Verb

1553, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 4

Adjective

1625, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trade was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near trade

Cite this Entry

“Trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trade. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

trade

1 of 3 noun
1
: the business or work in which a person takes part regularly : occupation
2
: an occupation requiring manual or mechanical skill
3
: the persons working in an occupation, business, or industry
4
: the business of buying and selling items : commerce
5
a
: an act or instance of trading : transaction
b
: an exchange of property without use of money : swap
6
: a firm's customers
7
: trade wind
usually used in plural

trade

2 of 3 verb
traded; trading
1
a
: to give in exchange for something else
b
: to make an exchange of
traded places
2
a
: to take part in the exchange, purchase, or sale of goods
b
: to deal regularly as a customer

trade

3 of 3 adjective
: of, relating to, or used in trade

Legal Definition

trade

1 of 3 noun
1
a
: the business or work in which one engages regularly
b
: an occupation requiring manual or mechanical skill
c
: the persons engaged in an occupation
2
: the business of buying and selling or bartering commodities
3
: an act or instance of trading
also : an exchange of property usually without use of money

trade

2 of 3 verb
traded; trading

intransitive verb

1
: to engage in the exchange, purchase, or sale of goods
2
: to give one thing in exchange for another
3
: to engage in selling

transitive verb

1
: to give in exchange for another commodity
also : to make an exchange of
2
: to engage in frequent buying and selling of (as stocks or commodities) usually in search of quick profits
tradable adjective
also tradeable
trader noun

trade

3 of 3 adjective
1
: of, relating to, or used in trade or in a particular trade or business
2
also trades : of, composed of, or representing the trades or labor unions

More from Merriam-Webster on trade

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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