tradespeople

American  

[treydz-pee-puhl] / ˈtreɪdzˌpi pəl /

Also tradesfolk

plural noun

1. those persons who are engaged in trade; tradesmen.

2. Chiefly British.

   1. tradesmen.

   2. shopkeepers collectively.

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tradespeople British  

/ ˈtreɪdzˌfəʊk, ˈtreɪdzˌpiːpəl /

plural noun

1. people engaged in trade, esp shopkeepers

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Etymology

Origin of tradespeople

First recorded in 1720–30; trade + 's ¹ + people

Example Sentences

They described tradespeople needing to look for work further afield and long-time visitors feeling unwelcome.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

Brunt Workwear sells footwear and clothes to tradespeople such as mechanics, builders and electricians.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

The brand also gives priority to comfort, since younger generations of tradespeople tend to gravitate toward more comfortable and lighter fabrics that can still be practical, Girouard said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

He feels more experienced tradespeople "focused on attention to detail" are retiring and not enough new people are coming into the construction industry.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2025

Behind the building which housed the dentist’s office ran a small path used by servants and those tradespeople who catered to the butcher and Stamps’ one restaurant.

From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou