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• 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.

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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

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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)

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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

Shopify posted a surge in second-quarter profit, driven by gains across both its subscription software and merchant services units.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026

Asked whether Iran would impose tolls on merchant vessels passing through the vital waterway, Caine said it was a “hypothetical” scenario — a response Kennedy rejected.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

The restoration on the Mills Act Property, which provides tax incentives to upkeep historic homes, has required an ecosystem of experts, including a colorist and curatorial rug merchant.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the multi award-winning and critically acclaimed BBC sitcom was set at Slough paper merchant Wernham-Hogg.

From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026

The merchant had said those very words, joking.

From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray

By 2005, when the trade publication Catalog Age changed its name to Multichannel Merchant to reflect the rise of e-commerce, even legacy brands like Lands’ End and L.L.

From Salon ● Jul. 18, 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

With prices increasing worldwide, Apple is “well positioned to capture switchers” when legacy or entry-level iPhones fall into this midrange price band through promotions or subsidies, Merchant wrote.

From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026

In recent years some Celtic fans have been involved in anti-social behaviour after gathering in their thousands in the Merchant City and Trongate areas of Glasgow.

From BBC ● May 16, 2026

It had nearly destroyed Kerch-Zemeni relations and sent the Merchant Council into an uproar.

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Management attributed the momentum to traction with larger merchants and self-onboarded sellers alike.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 5, 2026

By giving merchants and residents a common way to measure goods, the system helped make exchanges more consistent for everyone.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 30, 2026

She looked through the list of merchants and activated two eligible cards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

Baker meticulously traces these changes as they materialized in art, literature, and the ledgers and letters of Italian merchants.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

There, visiting pilgrims, knights at arms, merchants, and minstrels gathered, each awaiting the attention of the Prior.

From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli

Related Words

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