noun
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a person who engages in trade; dealer; merchant
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a vessel regularly employed in foreign or coastal trade
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stock exchange a member who operates mainly on his or her own account rather than for customers' accounts
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of trader
Explanation
A trader is a person who either buys goods and resells them, like a merchant who runs a store or a person who buys and sells stocks and bonds. The original meaning of trader was "one engaged in commerce," meaning someone who makes a living buying things and selling them at a profit. Originally, traders would literally trade goods for other goods, while today most of them trade goods for money. Financial traders work solely with money, buying and selling currency, stocks, bonds, and funds.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I worked at the first Trader Joe’s store to unionize, and when I attended a bargaining session in 2023, I was shocked by what I saw and heard.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
For a big grocery run to prepare for a barbecue, shopping at more affordable stores like Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Lidl or even dollar stores that sell groceries can yield significant savings.
From MarketWatch • May 22, 2026
Trader Joe’s customers might soon get a payout from the popular grocery chain.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026
That is the sense you get when you walk into a retailer with a strong private label assortment, such as Sprouts Farmers Market or Trader Joe’s.
From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026
Trader captains brought lace from Myr, chests of saffron from Yi Ti, amber and dragonglass out of Asshai.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
