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dealer

American  
[dee-ler] / ˈdi lər /

noun

  1. a person who buys and sells articles without altering their condition; trader or merchant, especially a wholesaler.

    I got a dealer's discount on this coat.

  2. Cards. the player distributing the cards.

  3. a person who behaves or acts toward another or others in a specified manner.

    a plain dealer.

  4. Slang. a person who buys and sells drugs illegally.

  5. a person who buys securities for their own account and retains them until sold to another.

dealer British  
/ ˈdiːlə /

noun

  1. a person or firm engaged in commercial purchase and sale; trader

    a car dealer

  2. cards the person who distributes the cards

  3. slang a person who sells illegal drugs

"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

Other Word Forms

  • dealership noun
  • predealer noun
  • subdealer noun

Etymology

Origin of dealer

First recorded before 1000; Middle English delere, Old English dǣlere. See deal 1, -er 1

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.

This is when car dealers receive commission from lenders, based on the interest rate charged to the customer.

From BBC

He set a plan in motion that would let the company advertise to car dealers that Santander Consumer wasn’t going to ask anymore for proof of income, or “POI,” in order to issue a loan.

From Salon

The RBI said Friday that dealers should ensure their net open rupee positions in the onshore deliverable market is capped at $100 million at the end of each business day.

From The Wall Street Journal

The payouts relate to commission arrangements between lenders and dealers, unfair contracts and inaccurate information given to car buyers.

From BBC

Banks, securities dealers, hedge funds, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the insurer American International Group nearly collapsed because of their exposure to subprime-linked loans, securities or derivatives.

From The Wall Street Journal

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.