tradesman

American  

[treydz-muhn] / ˈtreɪdz mən /

noun

tradesmen plural

1. a person engaged in trade.

2. a worker skilled in a particular craft; artisan; craftsman.

3. Chiefly British. a shopkeeper.

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tradesman British  

/ ˈtreɪdzmən /

noun

1. a man engaged in trade, esp a retail dealer

2. a skilled worker

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Gender

See -man.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• tradeswoman
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• tradesmen
  plural

Etymology

Origin of tradesman

First recorded in 1590–1600; trade + 's ¹ + -man

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

tradesman tradesmen

Suzanne, a nurse, felt guilty about medical costs and needing so much care and taking Rick, a self-employed tradesman, away from his job.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026

Fifteen years later, the tradesman stood outside Crane’s old spray booth, sanding a $25,000 rosewood bench.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2025

The first—the shark—comes from Steven Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster Jaws, in which a sheriff, a scientist, and a tradesman roll up their sleeves and put themselves in harm’s way to defeat a ferocious great white.

From Slate ● Oct. 29, 2024

Mr Cooper, a former carpenter, set up his snagging inspection company with a fellow tradesman six years ago after "seeing so much bad work" on building sites.

From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2023

“Yes; he did not stay many minutes in the house: Missis was very high with him; she called him afterwards a ‘sneaking tradesman.’

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

On a recent evening in a local pub, two builders asked other patrons for recommendations for tradesmen and were told they had to wait several weeks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026

“This was an industry of gatekeepers,” he said, adding that master tradesmen ultimately viewed their apprentices — working in the same 10- to 15-mile radius as them — as competition.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2025

Here’s how the day usually goes: At 3 p.m. sharp, about 3,500 members of Zurich’s ancient guilds — associations of artisans or tradesmen that date to the Middle Ages — embark on a parade.

From New York Times ● Apr. 16, 2024

He told the BBC that the education and numbers of tradesmen and women needed to be improved to raise the standards of new-build homes.

From BBC ● Dec. 14, 2023

“When word gets out that the Cook Coffeehouse is open for business again, you won’t be able to keep tradesmen or customers away!”

From "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson