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• trade-in
  trade-in

  noun

  goods given in whole or, usually, part payment of a purchase.
• trade in
  trade in

  Give or sell an old or used item and apply the value or proceeds to a new item. For example, Some people prefer to trade in their old car to the dealer, but we feel we'll do better by simply selling it. [First half of 1900s]

trade-in

American  

[trayd-in] / ˈtreɪdˌɪn /

noun

• trade-ins
  plural

1. goods given in whole or, usually, part payment of a purchase.

   We used our old car as a trade-in for the new one.

2. a business transaction involving a trade-in.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the valuation of goods used in a trade-in.

   trade-in price.

2. of or relating to such a business transaction.

   trade-in terms.

trade-in British  

noun

1. 1. a used article given in part payment for the purchase of a new article

   2. a transaction involving such part payment

   3. the valuation put on the article traded in

   4. ( as modifier )

      a trade-in dealer

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verb

1. (tr, adverb) to give (a used article) as part payment for the purchase of a new article

trade in Idioms  

1. Give or sell an old or used item and apply the value or proceeds to a new item. For example, Some people prefer to trade in their old car to the dealer, but we feel we'll do better by simply selling it. [First half of 1900s]

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• trade-ins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of trade-in

First recorded in 1920–25; noun, adj. use of verb phrase trade in

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

trade-in trade in trade-ins

Favorable base effects should flatter retail sales although the boost from the government’s consumer-goods trade-in program is fading, Goldman said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

“A higher trade-in value in the U.S. could drive stronger demand for the iPhone 17, but create more pressure on iPhone 18 sales given limited feature upgrades but assumed mid-teen % price hikes.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 11, 2026

When asked if the recent disc-production news has impacted trade-in activity in recent days, GameStop declined to say.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 2, 2026

Activist investor Starboard Value also revealed in March a $350 million stake in the company and urged Barr to review costs and upgrade the company’s digital trade-in experience.

From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026

They even have a trade-in policy, so I go there a lot.

From "Free Lunch" by Rex Ogle

Combined, the two ports handled around 31% of all international waterborne container trade in the U.S. in 2025.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 2026

The AI boom has proved more durable than the WTO had expected, with its previous forecasts for this year and next based on the assumption that the growth of trade in AI-related goods would slow.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

But for Lola, she just wants her boyfriend to trade in his car.

From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026

Lower-correlation assets refer to those that don’t trade in the same direction as each other.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026

The hangman was doing a brisk trade in murderer’s wash water, but Beetle was at last able to secure a bottle.

From "The Midwife's Apprentice" by Karen Cushman

That’s why Apple will be leaning on leasing, trade-ins and carrier subsidies to limit the impact of its prices on sales, JPMorgan’s Samik Chatterjee said in a client note.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026

Appliance trade-ins can boost sales for a quarter.

From Barron's ● Apr. 27, 2026

Edmunds’ Ivan Drury says the debt consumers are carrying on trade-ins should be a wake-up call.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2025

The government has even introduced programmes like consumer goods trade-ins, where people can exchange their washing machines, microwaves and rice cookers.

From BBC ● Jan. 16, 2025

Most important, he began accepting horses as trade-ins.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Related Words

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