trading card

noun

plural trading cards

: one of a set of cards or digital files collected and traded as a hobby : collectible card: such as

a

: a card featuring a picture of and statistical information about an athlete

It may be the most legendary trading card in sports, and it's not even Mantle's rookie card.

—Jon Gold

b

: a card featuring a fictional character, location, item, etc. and used especially in playing a trading card game

The "Labyrinth of Nightmare" set of Yu-Gi-Oh! trading cards is considered a good investment by some collectors because it contains several powerful and sought-after cards.

—Oliver Copeland

c

: a digital art file featuring a person, character, item, etc.

especially : a unique non-fungible token card

NFT trading cards are unique digital collectibles. Each NFT card is distinct. … A rare NFT trading card featuring a legendary musician or athlete might command a high price due to their widespread fame.

—Iulia Vasile

Examples of trading card in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That means finding new ways to bring the game off the field and into packs of trading cards that are increasingly being opened in unpacking videos on social media. —Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026

This rebuke was noticeable in how Swain addressed the plaintiffs’ claims regarding prices of MLB trading cards. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 31 Mar. 2026

The trading card market is even more staggering. —Ryan Brennan, Sacbee.com, 31 Mar. 2026

That's helping fuel growth in the broader category of non-sport trading cards. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 30 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for trading card

• bodyguard
• boulevard
• disregard
• asgard
• backyard
• barnyard
• blackguard
• bombard
• brickyard
• canard
• churchyard
• coastguard

Kids Definition

trading card

noun

: a card that usually has pictures and information about someone or something and is part of a set that is collected by trading with other people