exchange

American  

[iks-chaynj] / ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ /

verb (used with object)

• exchanges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• exchanged,
  past participle,  past
• exchanging
  present participle

1. to give up (something) for something else; part with for some equivalent; change for another.

   Synonyms:

   swap, trade, barter, commute, interchange

2. to replace (returned merchandise) with an equivalent or something else.

   Most stores will allow the purchaser to exchange goods.

3. to give and receive reciprocally; interchange.

   to exchange blows; to exchange gifts.

4. to part with in return for some equivalent; transfer for a recompense; barter.

   to exchange goods with foreign countries.

5. Chess. to capture (an enemy piece) in return for a capture by the opponent generally of pieces of equal value.

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verb (used without object)

• exchanges,
  present (3rd person singular)
• exchanged,
  past participle,  past
• exchanging
  present participle

1. to make an exchange; engage in bartering, replacing, or substituting one thing for another.

2. to pass or be taken in exchange or as an equivalent.

noun

• exchanges
  plural

1. the act, process, or an instance of exchanging.

   The contesting nations arranged for an exchange of prisoners; money in exchange for services.

   Synonyms:

   barter, commerce, business, traffic, trade, interchange

2. something that is given or received in exchange or substitution for something else.

   The car was a fair exchange.

3. a place for buying and selling commodities, securities, etc., typically open only to members.

   Synonyms:

   market

4. a central office or central station.

   a telephone exchange.

5. the method or system by which debits and credits in different places are settled without the actual transfer of money, by means of bills of exchange representing money values.

6. the discharge of obligations in different places by the transfer of credits.

7. the amount or percentage charged for exchanging money, collecting a draft, etc.

8. the reciprocal transfer of equivalent sums of money, as in the currencies of two different countries.

9. the giving or receiving of a sum of money in one place for a bill ordering the payment of an equivalent sum in another.

10. exchange rate.

11. the amount of the difference in value between two or more currencies, or between the values of the same currency at two or more places.

12. the checks, drafts, etc., exchanged at a clearinghouse.

13. Chess. a reciprocal capture of pieces of equivalent value by opponents in a single series of moves.

exchange British  

/ ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ /

verb

1. (tr) to give up, part with, or transfer (one thing) for an equivalent

   to exchange gifts

   to exchange francs for dollars

2. (tr) to give and receive (information, ideas, etc); interchange

3. (tr) to replace (one thing) with another, esp to replace unsatisfactory goods

4. to transfer or hand over (goods) in return for the equivalent value in kind rather than in money; barter; trade

5. (tr) chess to capture and surrender (pieces, usually of the same value) in a single sequence of moves

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noun

1. the act or process of exchanging

2. 1. anything given or received as an equivalent, replacement, or substitute for something else

   2. ( as modifier )

      an exchange student

3. an argument or quarrel; altercation

   the two men had a bitter exchange

4. Also called: telephone exchange. a switching centre in which telephone lines are interconnected

5. 1. a place where securities or commodities are sold, bought, or traded, esp by brokers or merchants

      a stock exchange

      a corn exchange

   2. ( as modifier )

      an exchange broker

6. 1. the system by which commercial debts between parties in different places are settled by commercial documents, esp bills of exchange, instead of by direct payment of money

   2. the percentage or fee charged for accepting payment in this manner

7. a transfer or interchange of sums of money of equivalent value, as between different national currencies or different issues of the same currency

8. (often plural) the cheques, drafts, bills, etc, exchanged or settled between banks in a clearing house

9. chess the capture by both players of pieces of equal value, usually on consecutive moves

10. chess to lose a rook in return for a bishop or knight

11. chess to win a rook in return for a bishop or knight

12. med another word for transfusion

13. physics a process in which a particle is transferred between two nucleons, such as the transfer of a meson between two nucleons

exchange Idioms  

1. see in exchange.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• exchangeability
  noun
• exchanger
  noun
• reexchange
  verb
• preexchange
  verb (used with object)
• exchangeable
  adjective
• unexchanged
  adjective
• exchangeably
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• exchanges
  plural

Participles

• exchanging
  present
• exchanged
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• exchange
  simple
• exchanges
  simple
• have exchanged
  perfect
• has exchanged
  perfect
• am exchanging
  progressive
• are exchanging
  progressive
• is exchanging
  progressive
• have been exchanging
  perfect progressive
• has been exchanging
  perfect progressive

Past

• exchanged
  simple
• had exchanged
  perfect
• was exchanging
  progressive
• were exchanging
  progressive
• had been exchanging
  perfect progressive

Future

• will exchange
  simple
• will have exchanged
  perfect
• will be exchanging
  progressive
• will have been exchanging
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of exchange

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the verb) Middle English eschaungen, from Anglo-French eschaungier, from Vulgar Latin excambiāre (unrecorded); equivalent to ex- ¹ + change ); noun derivative of the verb

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Explanation

To exchange means to trade one thing for another. If you and your friend both prefer what the other has brought for lunch, you should exchange lunches. Exchange, which is both a noun and a verb, comes from the Latin ex-, meaning "out" and cambiare, for "change" or "substitute." If you're traveling in Europe, you exchange U.S. Dollars for Euros. If you get a really awful outfit for your birthday present, you can go to the store and exchange it for one you like better. The correspondence between you and your loved one is an exchange of love letters. An argument is an exchange of opinions.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

exchange exchanges exchanged exchanging

Dylan played four songs including Knockin' on Heaven's Door, and reportedly climbed the stage mid-set to greet John Paul with a handshake and exchange a few words.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

"There's a very intense exchange we have with our business in China," he said.

From Barron's ● Nov. 4, 2026

Shareholders are being asked to take less cash back today in exchange for profits that depend on that spending paying off.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 4, 2026

The Danish drugmaker now expects adjusted sales and operating profit to range from a 2% decline to 2% growth at constant exchange rates.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

Then he gave me the sack of gunpowder that he had acquired in exchange for the kingfisher feathers and walked into the spicers’ district with his arms joyously spread.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

The minister's direction to his officials came after a committee hearing on 23 September, where there were terse exchanges between Sheehan and a senior DE official, Suzanne Kingon.

From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026

US President Donald Trump on Monday signalled progress in talks as Tehran said "intensive" exchanges were underway while offering to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under strict conditions.

From Barron's ● Nov. 3, 2026

The onus is now on exchanges to prove customers funds are secure.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 30, 2026

No need to worry if crypto exchanges promising hefty yields draw deposits from banks, they say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026

And actually...there are a lot of dynamic exchanges in this scene.

From "Better Nate Than Ever" by Tim Federle

Published in Science Advances, the findings provide a new picture of how prehistoric Europeans interacted, exchanged genes, and maintained populations through thousands of years of dramatic environmental change.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 2, 2026

Heated words were then exchanged between each set of coaching staff, with both saying they were trying to protect their players.

From BBC ● Oct. 26, 2026

Those future samples could provide another important piece of the puzzle, helping researchers determine how different regions of the early Solar System exchanged material and ultimately produced the planets, moons, and asteroids we observe today.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 24, 2026

Today, with gold approaching $4,300 an ounce, this burly trophy could have been exchanged for nearly $13.5 million.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

The same words were exchanged countless times that night: “No, I tell you it was Lincoln who was assassinated.”

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson

Like other communities around the country, residents in Doral have begun exchanging messages to alert one another to the presence of immigration agents or to someone being detained.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026

A small coterie of dissenters began exchanging knowing glances on campus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Players were milling around midfield, exchanging jerseys and making small talk when Chubb appeared to say something to Jackson, who was chatting with another Bills player.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026

We established a school with Mountain State Spotlight in West Virginia after filing our new school’s name and location with authorities on a piece of notebook paper, then exchanging a few emails.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Meanwhile, diplomats hurried back and forth between European capitals, exchanging notes, hoping to contain any fighting and avoid a wider conflict.

From "The War to End All Wars: World War I" by Russell Freedman

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Related Words

• change
• commerce
• network
• swap
• transaction
• transfer

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