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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.

Consumers will also be considered for compensation if they were not told about two other arrangements between the lender and the car dealer.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Born June 20, 1931, in Calumet, Mich., Tolkan was the son of a cattle dealer — Ralph M. Tolkan.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 30, 2026

“The market wants to move away from 6,475 in either direction. Falling down to 6,475 from above increases the potential of sharp snap back rallies; breaking below 6,475 can trigger forced dealer selling, accelerating selloffs.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 28, 2026

The threat of a ballot initiative was a factor in dealers’ decision to support the direct sales legislation, said Fabré, who represents Washington’s dealer association.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

“It is a great deal, but I have counted carefully and I will waste no penny of it. I shall make the cloth dealer give me the last inch to the foot.”

From "The Good Earth" by Pearl S. Buck

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.