Definitions
01financial/trade agent
B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun
n. a person or company that buys and sells things for other people, often charging a fee.
n. an agent who buys and sells goods, assets, or securities for others, typically in exchange for a commission.
“She called her insurance broker to find a cheaper policy for her car.”
“The customs broker ensured that all international shipments complied with local regulations to avoid costly delays at the border.”
02mediator
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Formal
n. someone who helps two groups or countries reach an agreement.
n. a person who functions as an intermediary or negotiator between parties to achieve a specific outcome.
“The diplomat acted as a broker between the two warring nations.”
“He earned a reputation as a power broker in the city, frequently resolving disputes between major developers and the local council.”
Synonyms
03computing
C1 · Advanced Countable noun Computing Technical
n. a piece of software that manages the exchange of data between different systems.
n. an intermediate software component that manages communication or transactions between distributed systems or services.
“The message broker handles thousands of requests every second.”
“The architecture relies on a central broker to route messages between the microservices, ensuring that data remains consistent across the platform.”
Synonyms
04to negotiate
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to organize or arrange an agreement between different people or groups.
v. to arrange or negotiate the details of a deal, treaty, or agreement. Transitive — takes a direct object.
“The government helped to broker a deal between the company and the workers.”
“The prime minister attempted to broker a ceasefire, though both sides remained skeptical of the proposed terms.”
Real-World Examples
“The US has attempted to broker talks between the two countries to de-escalate the situation.” “The United States and Iran are poised to blow past a deadline they had set themselves to broker terms on peace and Iran’s nuclear program.” Etymology
From broke + -er.
From Middle English broker, brokour, brocour, from Anglo-Norman brocour (“small trader”) (compare also abroker (“to act as a broker”)), from Old Dutch brokere (“one who determines the usages of trade, manager”), from broke, bruyck, breuck (“use, usage, trade”), from Proto-West Germanic brūkī (“use, custom”), from Proto-Germanic brūkiz (“use, custom”), from Proto-Indo-European bʰruHg- (“to use, enjoy”), equivalent to brook + -er. Cognates Cognate with Middle Low German brukere (“a broker”), Danish bruger (“a broker, user, handler”), Swedish bruk (“use, custom, trade, business”), Old English broc (“use, profit, advantage, foredeal”). Compare also French brocanter (“to deal in second-hand goods”) from the same Germanic source. More at brook.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/broker
「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0