Jump To:

• merchant
  merchant

  noun

  a person who buys and sells commodities for profit; dealer; trader.
• Merchant
  Merchant

  noun

  Ismail (ˈɪzmeɪəl). 1936–2005, Indian film producer, noted for his collaboration with James Ivory on such films as Shakespeare Wallah (1965), The Europeans (1979), A Room with a View (1986), The Remains of the Day (1993), and The Golden Bowl (2000)

merchant

American  

[mur-chuhnt] / ˈmɜr tʃənt /

noun

• merchants
  plural

1. a person who buys and sells commodities for profit; dealer; trader.

2. a storekeeper; retailer.

   a local merchant who owns a store on Main Street.

3. Chiefly British. a wholesaler.

---

adjective

1. pertaining to or used for trade or commerce.

   a merchant ship.

2. pertaining to the merchant marine.

3. Steelmaking. (of bars and ingots) of standard shape or size.

merchant ¹ British  

/ ˈmɜːtʃənt /

noun

1. a person engaged in the purchase and sale of commodities for profit, esp on international markets; trader

2. a person engaged in retail trade

3. (esp in historical contexts) any trader

4. derogatory a person dealing or involved in something undesirable

   a gossip merchant

5. (modifier)

   1. of the merchant navy

      a merchant sailor

   2. of or concerned with trade

      a merchant ship

---

verb

1. (tr) to conduct trade in; deal in

Merchant ² British  

/ ˈmɜːtʃənt /

noun

1. Ismail (ˈɪzmeɪəl). 1936–2005, Indian film producer, noted for his collaboration with James Ivory on such films as Shakespeare Wallah (1965), The Europeans (1979), A Room with a View (1986), The Remains of the Day (1993), and The Golden Bowl (2000)

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• outmerchant
  noun
• merchant-like
  adjective
• merchantlike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• merchants
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of merchant

1250–1300; Middle English marchant < Old French marcheant < Vulgar Latin *mercātant- (stem of *mercātāns ), present participle of *mercātāre, frequentative of Latin mercārī to trade, derivative of merx goods

---

Explanation

A merchant is someone who works in or owns a retail business and sells goods. In Paris you can stroll from merchant to merchant, buying a loaf of bread in one shop and a wedge of cheese in another. The noun merchant has its Latin roots in the word merchari, meaning to trade. Other words from the same root include "market," "merchandise," and "mercantile." In some areas, independent merchants have banded together to combine advertising dollars and compete against malls and big box stores. You should ask your neighborhood book merchant if they've considered joining a group like this.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

merchant Merchant merchants

Analysts predict the merchant cash advance market could amount to $35 billion by 2030.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

In 2014, merchant cash advances nationwide totaled about $8.6 billion, according to one federal agency.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

A merchant ship has sunk after drones hit two vessels off Bulgaria's Black Sea coast, Prime Minister Rumen Radev has said.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Ives now is a partner and senior managing director at merchant bank Yorkville Ives, which he helped launch earlier this year.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 7, 2026

Sometimes she dreamed she would marry a clever and talented merchant with a ship of his own.

From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny

Jay Merchant, Jonathan Mathew, Philippe Moryoussef, Alex Pabon, Colin Bermingham were convicted following trials for manipulating the interest rates used for loans between banks.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

“While demand remains strong, we continue to see variability tied to customer timing, mix sensitivity, working capital intensity and customer concentration,” Asiya Merchant, technology equity analyst at Citigroup, wrote in a note on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

“The difference of Insurance is such that every Merchant Orders their Goods shipped in British Bottoms.”

From Salon ● Jul. 4, 2026

The U.S. payment processor, AUS Merchant Services, also admitted that its anti-money-laundering compliance program and transaction-monitoring system failed to prevent illegal sales, the DOJ said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 1, 2026

“The plays of William Shakespeare,” said Mrs. Baker, “which can never be boring to the true soul. Open it to The Merchant of Venice.”

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt

In the run-up to the protests on Saturday, the Paris police commissioner, Patrice Faure, heightened anxieties by advising merchants to hire security guards, saying police alone could not “guarantee the protection of every business.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

At Gollety’s weapons store, Armurerie de la Bourse, dozens of guns are on display, but firearm restrictions are so tight in France that merchants were not trying to buy any.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

ByteDance has said merchants can’t buy their way into better recommendations.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 26, 2026

Online merchants face a difficult decision, though: Do they embrace outside agents in hopes of a sales boost, or do they resist them?

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

I expected a hostile welcome from the spice merchants, who must have seen through Samir’s flimflammery.

From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• broker
• dealer
• exporter
• operator
• retailer
• seller
• shipper
• shopkeeper
• trader
• trafficker
• vendor
• wholesaler

---