trade-in

[treyd-in]

noun

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.

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

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

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of trade-in¹

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

Idioms and Phrases

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]

Example Sentences

China’s auto sales for 1H trends above expectations, boosted by the revamped trade-in policy and local government subsidies, accelerated new product launches and increased promotions, Bernstein says.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Meanwhile, local governments have rolled out “trade-in” subsidies—appliance upgrades, EV purchases—to coax spending where property wealth has stalled.

Read more on Barron's

Meanwhile, local governments have rolled out “trade-in” subsidies—appliance upgrades, EV purchases—to coax spending where property wealth has stalled.

Read more on Barron's

Last year’s high base is hard to beat due to a soft consumption environment, front-loaded spending on home appliances and electronics and dwindling government trade-in subsidies since September, they say.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

While there could be bouts of improvement driven by more rounds of consumer trade-in programmes, MS continues to expect relatively slow growth in consumption in China.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

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