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

Norway's soccer star Erling Haaland's face has appeared on billboards, trading cards and television screens, becoming a social media phenomenon for scoring seven goals across four World Cup matches in July. — CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

The franchise has since spun off into a manga series, a trading card game, a long-running anime series and several movies. — Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 13 Aug. 2026

Fanatics purchased trading card manufacturer Topps for $500 million in 2022. — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 13 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

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