Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

broker

American  
[broh-ker] / ˈbroʊ kər /

noun

  1. an agent who buys or sells for a principal on a commission basis without having title to the property.

  2. a person who functions as an intermediary between two or more parties in negotiating agreements, bargains, or the like.

  3. stockbroker.

verb (used with object)

  1. to act as a broker for.

    to broker the sale of a house.

verb (used without object)

  1. to act as a broker.

broker British  
/ ˈbrəʊkə /

noun

  1. an agent who, acting on behalf of a principal, buys or sells goods, securities, etc, in return for a commission

    insurance broker

  2. (formerly) short for stockbroker

  3. a dealer in second-hand goods

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to act as a broker (in)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
broker Cultural  

  1. A financial agent or intermediary; a middleman.

Other Word Forms

  • brokership noun
  • subbroker noun

Etymology

Origin of broker

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English broco(u)r, from Anglo-French abrocour, broco(u)r “middleman, wine merchant”; compare Old Provençal abrocador, perhaps based on Spanish alboroque “gift or drink concluding a transaction” (from Arabic al-burūk “the gift, gratuity”), with -ador, from Latin -ātor -ator; alternatively, from Old French brocheor, brokeor “wine merchant,” derivative of broche ( broach ( def. ) )

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.

Whether or not the Pakistanis can broker a lasting deal when the two sides travel to Islamabad, the war and its consequences are reshaping the Middle East.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

The company’s chief commercial officer, Joe Esposito, had said at a broker conference in mid-March that fuel surcharges on international flights had already “gone in,” while base fares for domestic flights had also gone up.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Pakistan helped broker the cease-fire negotiations, and its prime minister, Shehbaz Sharif, said the cease-fire deal applied to fighting “everywhere including Lebanon.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

“It was intended to be a creative space, not a home,” says LaMonica, 64, who is a commercial real estate broker.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026

“Mr. Beiderman will have a real estate broker start showing the apartment to prospective renters beginning tomorrow. He strongly suggests that we not be in the apartment when it is shown.”

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser

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.