trade
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.the activity of buying, selling, or exchanging goods and services between people or countries.
n.the general activity of commercial exchange involving goods and services on a local or international scale.
Simple“The new treaty aims to increase trade between the two neighbouring countries.”
In context“Global trade patterns shifted significantly following the introduction of new tariffs on imported electronic components.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a job that needs special skills and training, usually working with your hands, like a plumber or electrician.
n.a manual or technical occupation requiring specific apprenticeship or vocational training.
Simple“After finishing school, he decided to learn a trade and became a carpenter.”
In context“The local college offers several vocational courses for students looking to enter a skilled trade such as masonry or welding.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B1 Intermediate
n.an act of giving one thing and receiving another thing in return.
n.a specific instance of bartering or swapping one item for another.
Simple“I'll give you my sandwich for your apple—is it a trade?”
In context“The two collectors agreed on a trade, exchanging a rare postage stamp for a first-edition comic book.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the amount of business or number of customers a shop or company has.
n.the volume of commercial activity or custom received by a business establishment.
Simple“The café does a lot of trade during the lunch hour.”
In context“Local retailers reported a sharp decline in trade after the new shopping mall opened on the outskirts of town.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the people or companies that work in a particular type of business.
n.the collective body of individuals and companies engaged in a specific industry.
Simple“This magazine is not for the general public; it is only for the building trade.”
In context“The annual convention provides an opportunity for members of the book trade to network and discuss emerging digital trends.”
- 06 B1 Intermediate
v.to buy and sell goods or services as a business.
v.to engage in the commercial purchase and sale of commodities or financial instruments.
Simple“The company trades in exotic spices from all over the world.”
In context“The stock was suspended from the exchange after it began to trade at an unusually high volume without explanation.”
- 07 B1 Intermediate
v.to give something to someone and get something else from them.
v.to give something in exchange for something else; often used with 'for' or 'with'.
Simple“The kids like to trade football cards during their lunch break.”
In context“He was willing to trade his privacy for the chance to become a famous actor.”
- 08 C1 Advanced
v.to use a famous name or a good reputation to help you succeed.
v.to use or exploit a particular quality, name, or reputation to one's advantage; usually followed by 'on'.
Simple“The restaurant is trading on its old reputation, but the food isn't good anymore.”
In context“The politician was accused of trading on his father's famous name rather than presenting his own policy ideas.”
Synonyms - 09 C1 Advanced
adj.describing a product made for general sale that is simple or basic in quality.
adj.denoting a product intended for the general retail market, typically of standard or utility quality.
Simple“We used trade paint for the hallway because it was cheaper for a large area.”
In context“The contractor recommended trade-grade fixtures to keep the renovation costs within the client's strict budget.”
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage trade deal · trade talks · trade agreement
From Middle English trade (“path, course of conduct”), introduced into English by Hanseatic merchants, from Middle Low German trade (“track, course”), from Old Saxon trada (“spoor, track”), from Proto-West Germanic tradu, from Proto-Germanic tradō (“track, way”), and cognate with Old English tredan (“to tread”); ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *dreh₂- (“to tread, walk, step, run”). Cognate with Dutch trade, tra (“path, trail, course, trade”), German Low German Traad (“track, wagon trail”), Luxembourgish Tratt (“step, pace”), Icelandic tröð (“a lane between fences, enclosure, pen”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.