trader

noun

trad·​er ˈtrā-dər 

1

: a person whose business is buying and selling or barter: such as

a

: merchant

b

: a person who buys and sells (something, such as stocks or commodities futures) in search of short-term profits

2

: a ship engaged in the coastal or foreign trade

Synonyms of trader

• dealer
• merchant
• businessman
• retailer

Examples of trader in a Sentence

She is a stock trader.

early explorers and fur traders

Recent Examples on the Web

Almost one year ago, the Saudis stunned crude traders by rapidly restarting production that had been halted since 2023, ignoring widespread warnings that global oil markets were already plentifully supplied. —Grant Smith, Fortune, 1 Mar. 2026

Amid the war in the Middle East, traders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and elsewhere in the region would slow or grind to a halt. —Cathy Bussewitz, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2026

With the main oil futures closed for the weekend, there’s limited insight into how traders are reacting to the latest attacks. —Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026

All energy traders are watching the Strait of Hormuz given about 20 million barrels per day of oil flows through the narrow waterway daily, but Kpler doesn’t expect a full, prolonged blockade. —Dan Mangan,leslie Josephs,spencer Kimball,cj Haddad,justin Papp,jordan Novet, CNBC, 28 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1566, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing trader

• day trader
• free trader

Rhymes for trader

• aider
• fader
• grader
• kadir
• nadir
• prader
• raider
• schrader
• seder
• shader
• crusader
• invader

Kids Definition

trader

noun

trad·​er ˈtrād-ər 

1

: a person who trades

2

: a ship engaged in trade