# selling

/ˈsɛɫɪŋ/ (US) · /sˈɛlɪŋ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/selling
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the act of trading for money

verb · CEFR A1

the action of giving something to a buyer for money.

For teachers: the present participle and gerund of 'sell', describing the ongoing act of commercial exchange.

- He is selling his old car to a neighbor for a very good price.
- The company is currently selling its European assets to focus more heavily on emerging markets in Southeast Asia.

### 2. the business activity

noun · CEFR A2

the work or business of persuading people to buy products.

For teachers: the activity or profession of promoting and exchanging goods for money.

- Online selling has become much easier with modern apps.
- The rise of direct-to-consumer selling has fundamentally altered the traditional retail landscape over the last decade.

### 3. salesmanship skill

noun · CEFR B2

the skill of being good at persuading people to buy things.

For teachers: the art or skill of salesmanship and persuasion in a commercial context.

- She is very successful because her personal selling is so natural.
- Effective selling requires a deep understanding of psychological triggers and the ability to build immediate rapport with a potential client.

## Examples

- The selling of the house took much longer than expected.
- Hard selling involves putting a lot of pressure on a customer to make a purchase immediately.
- The rapid growth of online selling has fundamentally altered the retail landscape, forcing traditional brick-and-mortar stores to reconsider their physical presence and customer engagement strategies.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.