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

Myclimate suggests 366 on average, the trade group 142, and the UN body 85. —

WIRED, 25 Jan. 2023 Refinance activity is still down by roughly three quarters from a year ago and purchase activity is down by about a third, according to MBA, a trade group. —

Ben Eisen, WSJ, 25 Jan. 2023 Fearing a global drop in demand for Champagne during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, grape harvests in 2020 were limited by the Comité Interprofessional de vin de Champagne, the trade group representing Champagne growers and producers. —

Mike Desimone And Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2023 The trade group said the change is the biggest since the USDA created its organic food program. —

Harold Maass, The Week, 20 Jan. 2023 The National Shooting Sports Foundation, a trade group that spearheaded the legislation, has been questioning the verification. —

Danielle Moran, Fortune, 19 Jan. 2023 Proponents, including a trade group representing Texas energy giants, have said the new market will lead to reinvestment in the Texas grid. —

Dallas News, 19 Jan. 2023 Half of the trade group’s member companies said the number of holiday transactions dropped from 2021 levels, and another 25 percent said sales were flat. —

Diti Kohli, BostonGlobe.com, 13 Jan. 2023 Airlines for America, the trade group that represents major U.S. airlines, urged travelers to check with their carrier throughout the day. —

John Bacon, USA TODAY, 12 Jan. 2023

Verb

As such, these stocks trade at a discount relative to the company’s assets. —

Mia Taylor, Fortune, 12 Jan. 2023 Sometimes, though, central banks trade directly against their credibility. —

James Mackintosh, WSJ, 10 Jan. 2023 Also, investors can trade a portion of gold for bonds from private companies or the government itself. —

Laxmi Corp, The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 Jan. 2023 The Ravens could also potentially trade him to a team with draft capital looking for a franchise-caliber quarterback. —

Baltimore Sun, 29 Dec. 2022 The Idiot, is an aspiring flâneuse momentarily held captive by her circumstances not unlike the literary cousin of The White Lotus’ Portia (trade a disastrous work trip to Taormina for sophomore year at Harvard). —

Seija Rankin, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Dec. 2022 His father would trade work for a Christmas tree, decorated with homemade items. —

cleveland, 17 Dec. 2022 Klein: The Rams can trade picks but don’t count on it. —

Los Angeles Times, 15 Dec. 2022 The region will trade a cold front for a warm front Thursday, bringing in much warmer weather and the lowest chance of rain for what has been a soggy week. —

Chelsea Prince, ajc, 7 Dec. 2022

Adjective

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 To give way on those would be to risk aggravating anti-trade sentiment in the U.S. —

Michael Schuman, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2022 No-nonsense manager Bob Melvin’s bottom line: ‘Play better’ Sitting unread in the email in-box Saturday morning was, at this head-scratching point, a seemingly reasonable thought about how to deal with the Padres’ post-trade deadline morass. —

Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Aug. 2022 To date, there has been no Biden relief from the anti-trade positions and the situation has actually gotten worse. —

Rick Helfenbein, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 And the New York Yankees added to their pre-trade deadline acquisition of All-Star outfielder Andrew Benintendi by adding a top setup man from the Chicago Cubs to their bullpen. —

Usa Today Sports, USA TODAY, 2 Aug. 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.