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.

---

tradespeople British  

/ ˈtreɪdzˌfəʊk, ˈtreɪdzˌpiːpəl /

plural noun

1. people engaged in trade, esp shopkeepers

---

Etymology

Origin of tradespeople

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

Example Sentences

So local officials are weighing a developer’s pitch to erect a “temporary workforce housing complex” for as many as 5,600 laborers and tradespeople.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

Haggling is also a skill many tradespeople are having to master, with a Cardiff-based tree surgeon saying customers question his fixed prices every day.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

The survey also found 68% said they were chasing late payments, with 23% juggling four or more unpaid invoices at a time, with the average amount written off by tradespeople £1,646.

From BBC • May 10, 2026

Today, with just a dozen left and at least one set to retire this year, these tradespeople are disappearing.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

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