Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense trades, present participle trading, past tense, past participle traded
1. uncountable noun
Trade is the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods or services between people,firms, or countries.
The ministry had direct control over every aspect of foreign trade.
...negotiations on a new international trade agreement.
Texas has a long history of trade with Mexico. [+ with]
Synonyms: commerce, business, transactions, buying and selling More Synonyms of trade
2. verb
When people, firms, or countries trade, they buy, sell, or exchange goods or services between themselves.
They may refuse to trade, even when offered attractive prices. [VERB]
Australia and New Zealand trade extensively with each other. [VERB + with]
He has been trading in antique furniture for 25 years. [VERB + in]
tradinguncountable noun
Trading on the stock exchange may be suspended.
Sunday trading laws will be reformed.
3. countable noun
A trade is a particular area of business or industry.
They've completely ruined the tourist trade for the next few years.
...the arms trade.
4. countable noun [oft poss NOUN, oft byNOUN]
Someone's trade is the kind of work that they do, especially when they have been trained to do it over a period of time.
He learnt his trade as a diver in the North Sea.
Allyn was a jeweller by trade.
She is a patron of small businesses and trades.
Synonyms: job, employment, calling, business More Synonyms of trade
5. verb
If someone trades one thing for another or if two people trade things, they agree to exchange one thing for the other thing.
[mainly US]
They traded land for goods and money. [VERB noun + for]
He still claims the arms weren't traded for hostages. [V n for n (non-recip)]
Kids used to trade baseball cards. [VERB noun]
They suspected that Neville had traded secret information with Mr Foster. [VERB noun + with]
Synonyms: exchange, switch, swap, barter More Synonyms of trade
Trade is also a noun.
I am willing to make a trade with you. [+ with]
It wouldn't exactly have been a fair trade.
regional note: in BRIT, use exchange
6. verb
If you trade places with someone or if the two of you trade places, you move into the other person's position or situation, and they move into yours.
[mainly US]
Mike asked George to trade places with him so he could ride with Tod. [VERB noun + with]
Kennedy mischievously suggested that professors ought to trade jobs for a time withjanitors. [VERB noun with noun]
The receiver and the quarterback are going to trade positions. [VERB noun]
7. verb
In professional sports, for example football or baseball, if a player is traded from one team to another, they leave one team and begin playing for another.
[US]
He was traded from the Giants to the Yankees. [beVERB-ed]
The A's have not won a game since they traded him. [VERB noun]
regional note: in BRIT, use transfer
8. verb
If two people or groups trade something such as blows, insults, or jokes, they hit each other, insult each other, or tell each other jokes.
[mainly US]
Children would settle disputes by trading punches or insults in the schoolyard. [VERB noun]
They traded artillery fire with government forces inside the city. [VERB noun + with]
Phrasal verbs:
See trade down
See trade in
See trade off
See trade on
See trade up
More Synonyms of trade
trade in British English
(treɪd)
noun
1.
the act or an instance of buying and selling goods and services either on the domestic (wholesale and retail) markets or on the international (import, export, and entrepôt) markets
▶ Related adjective: mercantile
2.
a personal occupation, esp a craft requiring skill
3.
the people and practices of an industry, craft, or business
4.
the exchange of one thing for something else
5.
the regular clientele of a firm or industry
6.
an amount of custom or commercial dealings; business
7.
a specified market or business
the tailoring trade
8.
an occupation in commerce, as opposed to a profession
9.
commercial customers, as opposed to the general public
trade only
10. homosexual slang
a sexual partner or sexual partners collectively
11. archaic
a custom or habit
verb
12. (transitive)
to buy and sell (commercial merchandise)
13.
to exchange (one thing) for another
14. (intransitive)
to engage in trade
15. (intransitive)
to deal or do business (with)
we trade with them regularly
adjective
16.
intended for or available only to people in industry or business
trade prices
Derived forms
tradable (ˈtradable) or tradeable (ˈtradeable)
adjective
tradeless (ˈtradeless)
adjective
Word origin
C14 (in the sense: track, hence, a regular business): related to Old Saxon trada, Old High German trata track; see tread
trade in American English
(treɪd)
noun
1. Obsolete
a.
a track; path
b.
a course; regular procedure
2.
a.
a means of earning one's living; occupation, work, or line of business
b.
an occupation requiring skill in any of certain kinds of work done with the hands, as distinguished from unskilled work or from a profession or business; craft
c.
all the persons or companies in a particular line of business or work
3.
the buying and selling of commodities or the bartering of goods; commerce
4.
dealings or the market involving specified commodities, customers, seasons, etc.
the tourist trade, the Easter trade
5.
customers; clientele
6.
a purchase or sale; deal; bargain
7.
an exchange; swap
8. [pl.]
the trade winds
see also trade wind
adjective
9.
of or relating to trade or commerce
10.
of, by, or for those in a particular business or industry
trade papers or journals
11.
of the members in the trades, or crafts
trade unions
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈtraded or ˈtrading
12.
to carry on a trade or business
13.
to have business dealings (with someone)
14.
to make an exchange (with someone)
15. Informal
to be a customer (at a specified store or shop)
verb transitive
16.
to exchange; barter; swap
17.
to buy and sell (stocks, etc.)
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈbusiness, sell
Idioms:
trade down
trade in
trade on
trade up
Derived forms
tradable (ˈtradable)
adjective or ˈtradeable
Word origin
ME, a track, course of action < MLowG, a track < OS trada, a trace, trail, akin to ME trede, tread
More idioms containing
trade
the tools of the trade
COBUILD Collocations
trade
foreign trade
global trade
illegal trade
lucrative trade
overseas trade
Examples of 'trade' in a sentence
trade
They have particular hopes where you will end up in trade negotiations.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
All businesses that once relied on the tourist trade are suffering.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This means that we shall all be worse off when looking to exchange for trade or holidays.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They need trade unions interested in more than the public sector.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This is intended to speed up sales processing and provide better service online regardless of demand peaks during busy trading periods.
Computing (2010)
Was it that much worse than the daily bluff and bluster of a City trading room?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Trade business accounted for 52 per cent of its total sales last year.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Which way the car steers depends on how it is programmed to trade off people 's lives.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We need to control our trade policy.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Manufacturers offer these deals because they know most people will trade in their existing car.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Trade in goods is known as visible exports and trade in services is known as invisible exports.
Chambers, Ian Business Studies Basic Facts (1990)
Most companies publish accounts within about three months of the end of their trading year.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
It is a free trade area in that there are no tariffs between the countries on exports.
Chambers, Ian Business Studies Basic Facts (1990)
We must also note that her trade union had agreed to the change.
Torrington, Derek Personnel Management: A New Approach (1991)
He thought it could carry the trade between the two.
Stewart Lamont WHEN SCOTLAND RULED THE WORLD: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativityand Exploration (2002)
Watch where large competitors advertise and also use trade magazines.
The Sun (2013)
You think of international trade as a competition.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The stores are expected to begin trading next year.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
And now the only thing booming is the tourist trade.
The Sun (2013)
We will continue to trade the remaining business while we seek a buyer.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The trade body has no idea and it is almost impossible to tell because worldwide figures are not collected.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
The best single means to do so requires harnessing the power of politicians and pushing through the next round of trade liberalisation.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He said that the find was the culmination of a 25-year career in the antiques trade.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Rarely sold by variety, the trade tends to buy raspberries by the grower.
Smith, Drew Food Watch (1994)
The Kent countryside could be about to become home to one of the tallest structures in the country if a City trading firm has its way.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
trade
British English: trade /treɪd/ NOUN
activityTrade is the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods or services between people, firms, or countries.
The ministry had direct control over every aspect of foreign trade.
American English: trade
Arabic: تـِجَارَة
Brazilian Portuguese: comércio
Chinese: 贸易
Croatian: trgovina
Czech: obchod činnost
Danish: handel
Dutch: handel
European Spanish: comercio
Finnish: kaupankäynti
French: commerce
German: Handel
Greek: εμπόριο
Italian: commercio
Japanese: 商売
Korean: 장사 사업
Norwegian: handel
Polish: handel
European Portuguese: comércio
Romanian: comerț
Russian: торговля
Latin American Spanish: comercio
Swedish: handel
Thai: การค้าขาย
Turkish: ticaret
Ukrainian: торгівля
Vietnamese: thương mại
British English: trade NOUN
skill A trade is a particular area of business or industry.
They've completely ruined the tourist trade for the next few years.
American English: trade
Brazilian Portuguese: comércio
Chinese: 贸易
European Spanish: negocio
French: secteur
German: Handel
Italian: settore
Japanese: 業界
Korean: 교역
European Portuguese: comércio
Latin American Spanish: negocio
British English: trade VERB
If you trade places with someone or if the two of you trade places, you move into the other person's position or situation, and they move into yours.
He asked his friend to trade places with him so he could ride with me.
American English: trade
Brazilian Portuguese: trocar
Chinese: 交换位置
European Spanish: intercambiar
French: changer deN
German: tauschen
Italian: scambiare
Japanese: 入れ替える
Korean: 교환하다
European Portuguese: trocar
Latin American Spanish: intercambiar
All related terms of 'trade'
fur trade
the worldwide business of buying and selling animal fur
rag trade
The rag trade is the business and industry of making and selling clothes, especially women's clothes.
trade gap
If a country imports goods worth more than the value of the goods that it exports, this is referred to as a trade gap .
trade-in
If you trade in an old car or appliance , you give it to the person you are buying a new one from so that you pay less.
trade-off
If you trade off one thing against another, you exchange all or part of one thing for another, as part of a negotiation or compromise.
trade on
If someone trades on something, they make use of it for their own advantage, often in an unfair way.
trade up
If someone trades up , they sell something such as their car or their house and buy a more expensive one.
trade war
an economic conflict in which countries impose import restrictions on each other in order to harm each other's trade
carry trade
a speculative transaction in which a trader buys the currency of a country with a high rate of interest and sells the currency of a country with a low rate of interest
fair trade
Fair trade is the practice of buying goods directly from producers in developing countries at a fair price.
free trade
international trade that is free of such government interference as import quotas , export subsidies , protective tariffs , etc
horse-trade
to buy and sell horses
ivory trade
the (esp illegal ) trade in the ivory of the tusks of elephants , walruses , and similar animals
motor trade
→ the motor trade
rough trade
(in homosexual use) a tough or violent sexual partner , esp a lorry driver , construction worker, or docker , casually picked up
slave trade
The slave trade is the buying and selling of slaves, especially Black Africans, from the 16th to the 19th centuries.
trade bill
a bill of exchange drawn on and accepted ( trade acceptance ) by a trader in payment for goods
trade book
an ordinary edition of a book sold in the normal way in shops , as opposed to a de luxe or mail-order edition
trade cycle
the recurrent fluctuation between boom and depression in the economic activity of a capitalist country
trade down
If someone trades down , they sell something such as their car or house and buy a less expensive one.
trade fair
A trade fair is an exhibition where manufacturers show their products to other people in industry and try to get business.
trade-last
a compliment that one has heard about someone, which one offers to tell to that person in exchange for a compliment heard about oneself
trade name
A trade name is the name which manufacturers give to a product or to a range of products.
trade paper
a periodical containing new developments, discussions , etc, concerning a trade or profession
trade plate
a numberplate attached temporarily to a vehicle by a dealer , etc, before the vehicle has been registered
trade price
the price paid for goods by a retailer to a manufacturer or wholesaler
trade route
A trade route is a route, often covering long distances, that is used by traders.
trade show
A trade show is an exhibition where manufacturers show their products to other people in industry and try to get business.
trade talks
discussions on the arrangements for international trade
trade union
A trade union is an organization that has been formed by workers in order to represent their rights and interests to their employers, for example in order to improve working conditions or wages .
trade wind
a wind blowing obliquely towards the equator either from the northeast in the N hemisphere or the southeast in the S hemisphere, approximately between latitudes 30° N and S, forming part of the planetary wind system
wool trade
→ the wool trade
export trade
the area of business or industry concerned with the export of goods or services
foreign trade
Trade is the activity of buying , selling, or exchanging goods or services between people, firms , or countries.
global trade
Trade is the activity of buying , selling, or exchanging goods or services between people, firms , or countries.
illegal trade
Trade is the activity of buying , selling, or exchanging goods or services between people, firms , or countries.
import trade
goods, services and products brought into a country and which were bought from another country
managed trade
a system whereby the government sets and specifies trade targets and policies
retail trade
→ the retail trade
tourist trade
→ another name for tourist industry
trade balance
a country's trade balance is the difference in value, over a period of time, between the goods it imports and the goods it exports
trade barrier
any regulation or policy that restricts international trade, esp. tariffs , quotas , etc
trade deficit
the difference between the value of a country's imports and the value of its exports
trade dispute
a dispute between workers and their employer
trade edition
that edition of a book sold to the general public, as distinguished from a school edition, etc. of the same book
trade embargo
a government order imposing a trade barrier
trade figures
a record of how much a country has paid for goods which it has bought from other countries, compared with how much it has been paid for goods which it has sold to other countries
trade journal
a periodical containing new developments , discussions , etc, concerning a trade or profession
trade mission
a delegation sent by a government or by business representatives to another country to promote exports to that country
trade returns
a record of how much a country has paid for goods which it has bought from other countries, compared with how much it has been paid for goods which it has sold to other countries
[ u ] ( unification ) 合并 hébìng ⇒ We are working for the union of the two countries. → 我们正为这两个国家的合并而努力。 Wǒmen zhèng wèi zhè liǎng gè guójiā de hébìng ér nǔlì.
to trade sth (for sth)
( esp US ) 用某物交换(換)(某物) yòng mǒuwù jiāohuàn (mǒuwù)
1 (noun)
Definition
amount of custom or commercial dealings
The ministry has control over every aspect of foreign trade.
Synonyms
commerce
They have made their fortunes from industry and commerce.
business
young people seeking a career in business
transactions
buying and selling
dealing
exchange
traffic
traffic in illicit drugs
truck
barter
2 (noun)
Definition
a specified market or business
He was a jeweller by trade.
Synonyms
job
the pressure of being the first woman in the job
employment
She was unable to find employment in the area.
calling
He was a serious man, dedicated to his calling as a physician.
business
May I ask what business you are in?
line
What was your father's line of business?
skill
craft
All kinds of traditional crafts are preserved here.
profession
Harper was a teacher by profession.
occupation
I was looking for an occupation which would allow me to travel.
pursuit
They both love outdoor pursuits.
line of work
métier
avocation
3 (noun)
It wouldn't exactly have been a fair trade.
Synonyms
exchange
a free exchange of information
deal
swap
If she ever fancies a job swap, I could be interested.
interchange
the interchange of ideas from different disciplines
4 (noun)
Synonyms
customers
market
Two big companies control 72% of the market.
public
She won't do anything that makes her look bad to her public.
custom
Providing discounts is not the only way to win custom.
patrons
clientele
This pub has a mixed clientele.
1 (verb)
Definition
to deal or do business (with)
They had years of experience trading with the west.
Synonyms
deal
do business
buy and sell
exchange
traffic
Anyone who trafficked in illegal goods was brought to justice.
truck
bargain
Shop in small local markets and don't be afraid to bargain.
peddle
dealers peddling drugs
barter
transact
cut a deal
have dealings
2 (verb)
Definition
to exchange
They traded land for goods and money.
Synonyms
exchange
We exchanged addresses.
switch
The ballot boxes have been switched.
swap
Some hostages were swapped for convicted prisoners.
barter
They have been bartering wheat for cotton and timber.
3 (verb)
Definition
to engage in trade
The company is thought to be trading at a loss.
Synonyms
operate
The machine operates at a pace of just 2 miles per hour.
run
His father ran a prosperous business.
deal
do business
phrasal verb
See trade on something
related words
related adjectivemercantile
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bargain
Shop in small local markets and don't be afraid to bargain.
Synonyms
haggle,
deal,
sell,
trade,
traffic,
barter,
drive a hard bargain
in the sense of barter
Definition
to trade goods or services in exchange for other goods or services, rather than for money
They have been bartering wheat for cotton and timber.
Synonyms
trade,
sell,
exchange,
switch,
traffic,
bargain,
swap,
haggle,
drive a hard bargain
in the sense of business
Definition
commercial activity
young people seeking a career in business
Synonyms
trade,
selling,
trading,
industry,
manufacturing,
commerce,
dealings,
merchandising
Synonyms of 'trade'
trade
Explore 'trade' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of business
Definition
a trade or profession
May I ask what business you are in?
Synonyms
profession,
work,
calling,
job,
line,
trade,
career,
function,
employment,
craft,
occupation,
pursuit,
vocation,
métier
in the sense of calling
Definition
a profession or occupation, esp. a caring one
He was a serious man, dedicated to his calling as a physician.
Synonyms
profession,
work,
business,
line,
trade,
career,
mission,
employment,
province,
occupation,
pursuit,
vocation,
walk of life,
life's work,
métier
in the sense of clientele
Definition
customers or clients collectively
This pub has a mixed clientele.
Synonyms
customers,
market,
business,
following,
trade,
regulars,
clients,
patronage
in the sense of craft
Definition
an occupation requiring skill or manual dexterity
All kinds of traditional crafts are preserved here.
Synonyms
occupation,
work,
calling,
business,
line,
trade,
employment,
pursuit,
vocation,
handiwork,
handicraft
in the sense of custom
Definition
regular use of a shop or business
Providing discounts is not the only way to win custom.
Synonyms
customers,
business,
trade,
patronage
in the sense of employment
Definition
a person's work or occupation
She was unable to find employment in the area.
Synonyms
job,
work,
business,
position,
trade,
post,
situation,
employ,
calling,
profession,
occupation,
pursuit,
vocation,
métier
in the sense of interchange
Definition
the act of interchanging
the interchange of ideas from different disciplines
Synonyms
exchange,
give and take,
alternation,
reciprocation
in the sense of line
Definition
a field of interest or activity
What was your father's line of business?
Synonyms
occupation,
work,
calling,
interest,
business,
job,
area,
trade,
department (informal),
field,
career,
activity,
bag (slang),
employment,
province,
profession,
pursuit,
forte,
vocation,
specialization
in the sense of market
Definition
the buying and selling of goods and services, esp. when unrestrained by political or social considerations
Two big companies control 72% of the market.
Synonyms
trade,
business,
dealing,
commerce,
trading,
buying and selling
in the sense of occupation
Definition
a person's job or profession
I was looking for an occupation which would allow me to travel.
Synonyms
job,
work,
calling,
business,
line (of work),
office,
trade,
position,
post,
career,
situation,
activity,
employment,
craft,
profession,
pursuit,
vocation,
livelihood,
walk of life
Additional synonyms
in the sense of peddle
Definition
to sell (goods) from place to place
dealers peddling drugs
Synonyms
sell,
trade,
push (informal),
market,
hawk,
flog (slang),
vend,
huckster,
sell door to door
in the sense of profession
Definition
a type of work that requires special training, such as in law or medicine
Harper was a teacher by profession.
Synonyms
occupation,
calling,
business,
career,
employment,
line,
office,
position,
sphere,
vocation,
walk of life,
line of work,
métier
in the sense of public
Definition
a particular section of the community
She won't do anything that makes her look bad to her public.
Synonyms
clientele,
fans,
supporters,
following,
followers,
audience,
buyers,
patrons
in the sense of pursuit
Definition
an occupation or pastime
They both love outdoor pursuits.
Synonyms
occupation,
activity,
interest,
line,
pleasure,
hobby,
pastime,
vocation
in the sense of run
Definition
to manage
His father ran a prosperous business.
Synonyms
manage,
lead,
direct,
be in charge of,
own,
head,
control,
boss (informal),
operate,
handle,
conduct,
look after,
carry on,
regulate,
take care of,
administer,
oversee,
supervise,
mastermind,
coordinate,
superintend
in the sense of swap
Definition
an exchange
If she ever fancies a job swap, I could be interested.
Synonyms
exchange,
trade,
switch,
interchange,
barter,
trade-off
in the sense of swap
Definition
to exchange (something) for something else
Some hostages were swapped for convicted prisoners.
Synonyms
exchange,
trade,
switch,
traffic,
interchange,
barter,
trade off
in the sense of switch
Definition
to exchange (places) or swap (something for something else)
The ballot boxes have been switched.
Synonyms
exchange,
trade,
swap,
replace,
substitute,
rearrange,
interchange
in the sense of traffic
Definition
trade, esp. of an illicit kind
traffic in illicit drugs
Synonyms
trade,
dealing,
commerce,
buying and selling,
business,
exchange,
truck,
dealings,
peddling,
barter,
doings
in the sense of traffic
Definition
to carry on trade or business, esp. of an illicit kind
Anyone who trafficked in illegal goods was brought to justice.