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Synonyms

carriage trade

American  

noun

  1. wealthy patrons of a store, restaurant, theater, etc.; elite clientele.


carriage trade British  

noun

  1. trade from the wealthy part of society

"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

Etymology

Origin of carriage trade

First recorded in 1710–20

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.

New York-based Marino was described by Architectural Digest as “a leading architect for the carriage trade, and the architect for fashion brands.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 23, 2025

I live in London, where there is a centuries-old licensed hackney carriage trade.

From New York Times • Apr. 23, 2017

He called the horse carriage trade a “humane industry that is well regulated by New York City’s Departments of Health and Mental Hygiene and Consumer Affairs.”

From Time • Apr. 19, 2014

Tennie referred contemptuously to the hypocrisy of Madame Restell’s carriage trade.

From Salon • Mar. 9, 2014

Robert had gone ahead rapidly with his scheme for reorganizing the carriage trade.

From Jennie Gerhardt A Novel by Dreiser, Theodore