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

Co-founded by Baseball Hall of Famer Derek Jeter and entrepreneurs Brian Lee and Jesse Glass, Arena Club merges the physical and digital worlds of trading cards in a way that allows hobbyists to grade, collect, invest and sell on their app. — Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Disney executives say that their trading card revenue has quadrupled since 2023, underscoring the market’s rapid expansion, and the company’s push deeper into it. — Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026

There’s a reason Phil Coulson carries around those Captain America trading cards. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Aug. 2026

His company runs a marketplace for paid online communities, and the same instinct sends crypto's newly rich after collectibles and trading cards. — Boaz Sobrado, Forbes.com, 2 Aug. 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