trade 1 of 2

noun

ˈtrād How to pronounce trade (audio)
Definition of tradenext
1
as in exchange
a giving or taking of one thing of value in return for another when the other team unexpectedly offered to hand over its top pitcher for our star shortstop, our coach agreed to the trade

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in craft
an occupation requiring skillful use of the hands a youth eager to learn the trade of cabinetmaking

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in profession
the activity by which one regularly makes a living writing is my trade

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in commerce
the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places a bill regulating trade with that country

Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in sale
the transfer of ownership of something from one person to another for a price the trade of all of her holdings in the company just before the stock plunged in value immediately aroused suspicions

Synonyms & Similar Words

trade

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to deal
to carry on the business of buying and selling goods or other property the U.S. agreed to trade with China

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to exchange
to give up (something) and take something else in return I'll trade my chocolate chip cookie for your bag of chips

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word trade distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of trade are business, commerce, industry, and traffic. While all these words mean "activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities," commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

In what contexts can business take the place of trade?

The words business and trade can be used in similar contexts, but 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.

When could industry be used to replace trade?

The words industry and trade are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

When can traffic be used instead of trade?

While in some cases nearly identical to trade, traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of trade
Noun
China's trade data Over in Asia, China’s economy produced a better-than-expected headline figure — but the details were less uniformly encouraging. — Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 19 Oct. 2026 Countries are now seeking security partnerships to shore up their defense capabilities, stable trade relationships to protect against economic warfare, and financing to make up for cuts in aid and increases in the costs of government borrowing. — Claas Mertens, Foreign Affairs, 19 Oct. 2026
Verb
Rather, the onus is on them to plan with a mindset that factors in all those variables to trade them off as the need arises. — Charlie Sanchez, Forbes.com, 20 Oct. 2026 The Rays traded the 29-year-old to Milwaukee just before the season began in March. — Ryan Canfield Outkick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for trade
Recent Examples of Synonyms for trade
  1. exchange
  2. craft
  3. profession
  4. commerce
  5. sale
  6. deal
  7. swap
  8. art
Noun
  • Reliance Industries, the parent company of the telecom operator, said in an exchange filing.
    — Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026
  • High-pressure cooling channels run vertically along the side walls of each cell to create a much larger surface area for heat exchange.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of exchange
Noun
  • Evolution also has a key differentiator with its Cinematography Focus, a section celebrating the art, vision, and craft of cinematography.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The programming includes everything from live music and strolling carolers to festive crafts and local vendors.
    — Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of craft
Noun
  • Licenses are required for certain professions, such as cosmetologists and barbers.
    — Megan Cerullo, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • While talk of brand deals and hairstyling as a profession are natural assumptions as next steps post-college, Huettl says that for now, this is just a fun hobby.
    — Audrey Noble, Vogue, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of profession
Noun
  • Our goal is to help prepare merchants for a future where commerce can happen anywhere.
    — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Braniecki likened the effort to make SPACE open source to what happened with web browsers as the internet developed — companies came together to build guardrails that allowed secure browsing and online commerce.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of commerce
Noun
  • Vinyl records just posted their nineteenth consecutive year of growth, passing $1 billion in US sales in an era when streaming has made music essentially free.
    — Matt Alt, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Private facilities will usually accept leaves from many different sources and have larger quantities of compost available for bulk sale.
    — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of sale
Verb
  • Last night, Dave Roberts left Blake Snell in a bit too long, even though Snell was dealing.
    — David Troy OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Balance became an issue as the two tried to get leverage to deal a knockout blow.
    — Eduardo A. Encina, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of deal
Verb
  • The Falcons swapped veteran quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, signing Andy Dalton and releasing Cooper Rush, the team announced Monday.
    — Daniel Flick, AJC.com, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Once the animals had learned to associate each of the six scents with a particular reward location, researchers started swapping the scent-location pairs.
    — Sean Mccabe, Hartford Courant, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of swap
Noun
  • At Nothing’s March launch at Central Saint Martins, the London art school, more than 300 students met the company’s industrial design team and tried the products.
    — Sam Birchall, Fortune, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The unrest comes on the eve of Art Basel Paris this week, sparking concerns about the impact this may have on the fair and a packed week of art events throughout the city.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of art

Phrases Containing trade

Browse Nearby Words

tracts
trade
trade book
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Cite this Entry

“Trade.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/trade. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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