trade

1 of 3

noun

ˈtrād

Synonyms of trade next

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

obsolete : dealings between persons or groups

: an act or instance of trading : transaction

also : an exchange of property usually without use of money

: a firm's customers : clientele

: the group of firms engaged in a business or industry

: an occupation requiring manual or mechanical skill : craft

: the business or work in which one engages regularly : occupation

: the persons engaged in an occupation, business, or industry

: a customary course of action : practice

thy sin's not accidental, but a trade—

William Shakespeare

: trade wind

—usually used in plural

: a publication intended for persons in the entertainment business

—usually used in plural

obsolete : a path traversed : way

archaic : a track or trail left by a person or animal : tread sense 4

trade

2 of 3

verb

traded; trading

intransitive verb

: to give one thing in exchange for another

: to engage in the exchange, purchase, or sale of goods

: to make one's purchases : shop

trades at his store

: sell sense 3

obsolete : to have dealings : negotiate

transitive verb

: to give in exchange for another commodity : barter

also : to make an exchange of

traded places

: to engage in frequent buying and selling of (stocks, commodities, etc.) usually in search of quick profits

archaic : to do business with

tradable adjective

or less commonly tradeable

ˈtrā-də-bəl

trade

3 of 3

adjective

: of, relating to, or used in trade

: intended for or limited to persons in a business or industry

a trade publication

trade sales

: serving others in the same business rather than the ultimate user or consumer

a trade printing house

or less commonly trades : of, composed of, or representing the trades or trade unions

a trade committee

: 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 favors—

T. 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.

Example Sentences

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Trump’s fondness for tariffs and hatred of trade deals helped convince Midwestern voters, in particular, to support him. —

Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 2 Mar. 2023 At last, the government was taking the parts trade seriously, if perhaps a little heavy-handedly. —

Stephen Witt, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023 Detroit has lost three straight games, and just traded two of its best players ahead of Friday's NHL trade deadline. —

Detroit Free Press, 2 Mar. 2023 On Saturday, Stephanie Allain and Donald De Line shepherded their first-ever Producers Guild of America Awards as presidents of the trade organization. —

Katie Kilkenny, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Mar. 2023 The hearing, which covered topics including trade theft, military confrontation, fentanyl supply, human rights abuses and more, laid out a sweeping agenda of existential threats posed by Beijing. —

Cate Cadell, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2023 The system of customs checks effectively created a trade border inside of Britain, down the Irish Sea. —

Mark Landler, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2023 This trade also represents another step toward closing the door on the team’s greatest era. —

Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2023 The Rangers were thought to be out of the Kane sweepstakes because of their earlier trade for Vladimir Tarasenko. —

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY, 1 Mar. 2023

Verb

Will the Arizona Cardinals trade wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins? Speculation surrounding the team and its top wide receiver is swirling throughout the NFL. —

Jeremy Cluff, The Arizona Republic, 3 Mar. 2023 The Bears are one potential landing spot to do so, but teams could also trade with the Cardinals at No. 3, or one spot above Indianapolis. —

Nate Atkins, The Indianapolis Star, 28 Feb. 2023 Then the money lands at another exchange, typically an international operator, where thieves trade the crypto for traditional currency. —

Tory Newmyer, Anchorage Daily News, 14 Feb. 2023 Newsom also proposed making the state’s credit refundable, meaning that companies that have little or no tax liability in the state could trade their credits for cash. —

Gene Maddaus, Variety, 17 Jan. 2023 Americans wishing to trade their license or ID in for a compliant Real ID, which has a star symbol at the top of the card, must undergo a more stringent ID check during application. —

Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2022 Damian Lillard wants the Blazers to trade for Jarred Vanderbilt. —

Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 3 Dec. 2022 This meant not only matching buyers and sellers, but also using its own money to trade. —

Gretchen Morgenson, NBC News, 11 Nov. 2022 Silk Road operated from 2011 to 2013 and was used to trade illicit goods around the world. —

Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 7 Nov. 2022

Adjective

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 In Lordstown, Ohio, for example — ground zero for White, working-class and anti-trade voters — Foxconn, the Taiwanese manufacturing goliath, intends to produce thousands of Fisker PEAR electric vehicles per year, alongside other EV products. —

Paul Sracic, CNN, 12 Jan. 2023 And there is now a remarkable bipartisan consensus about confronting China on the economy, even if this involves violating some of the pre-trade principles that the United States promulgated for sixty years after the Second World War. —

John Cassidy, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2023 In his final game against his pre-trade Rockets squad this season, Wood added 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a season-high five blocks while shooting 8 of 14 from the floor. —

Dallas News, 2 Jan. 2023 In a post-trade session with reporters, general manager Don Sweeney noted his encouragement over prospects Cole Spicer (Minnesota-Duluth) and Matthew Poitras (OHL Guelph). —

Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 27 Oct. 2022 The company has already introduced pre-trade verifications, which can help users avoid phishing, along with a verification system for vetted cryptocurrencies. —

Marco Quiroz-gutierrez, Fortune, 12 Oct. 2022 Ryan, who has long staked out a spot in the anti-trade wing of the Democratic Party, appeals to blue-collar workers by supporting a blend of tariffs and industrial policy. —

David J. Lynch, Washington Post, 16 Oct. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'trade.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.