English Reference

Word

trade

US/ˈtɹeɪd/

UK/tɹˈeɪd/

Definitions

01buying and selling

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Economics

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.

“The new treaty aims to increase trade between the two neighbouring countries.”

“Global trade patterns shifted significantly following the introduction of new tariffs on imported electronic components.”

02skilled job

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

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.

“After finishing school, he decided to learn a trade and became a carpenter.”

“The local college offers several vocational courses for students looking to enter a skilled trade such as masonry or welding.”

Antonyms

03an exchange

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

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.

“I'll give you my sandwich for your apple—is it a trade?”

“The two collectors agreed on a trade, exchanging a rare postage stamp for a first-edition comic book.”

04business activity

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun British English

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.

“The café does a lot of trade during the lunch hour.”

“Local retailers reported a sharp decline in trade after the new shopping mall opened on the outskirts of town.”

05industry people

B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun

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.

“This magazine is not for the general public; it is only for the building trade.”

“The annual convention provides an opportunity for members of the book trade to network and discuss emerging digital trends.”

Synonyms

06to buy and sell

B1 · Intermediate Finance

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.

“The company trades in exotic spices from all over the world.”

“The stock was suspended from the exchange after it began to trade at an unusually high volume without explanation.”

07to exchange

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'.

“The kids like to trade football cards during their lunch break.”

“He was willing to trade his privacy for the chance to become a famous actor.”

08to exploit a name

C1 · Advanced Formal

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'.

“The restaurant is trading on its old reputation, but the food isn't good anymore.”

“The politician was accused of trading on his father's famous name rather than presenting his own policy ideas.”

09basic quality

C1 · Advanced Technical

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.

“We used trade paint for the hallway because it was cheaper for a large area.”

“The contractor recommended trade-grade fixtures to keep the renovation costs within the client's strict budget.”

Collocations

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “trade” in context.

Verb

01. ply trade

“The blacksmith continued to ply his trade in the small village.”

verb + noun

02. promote trade

“The new treaty is designed to promote trade between the two nations.”

verb + noun

03. restrict trade

“High tariffs were introduced to restrict trade with foreign competitors.”

verb + noun

Adjective

04. global trade

“Global trade has slowed down due to the recent supply chain issues.”

adj + noun

05. fair trade

“Consumers are often willing to pay more for fair trade coffee.”

adj + noun

06. illegal trade

“The government is cracking down on the illegal trade of wildlife.”

adj + noun

07. skilled trade

“He decided to leave university to learn a skilled trade like plumbing.”

adj + noun

Noun

08. balance of trade

“The country is struggling with an unfavorable balance of trade.”

noun + prep + noun

09. barrier to trade

“Language differences can often be a significant barrier to trade.”

noun + prep + noun

10. a fair trade-off

“Giving up some privacy for better security seemed like a fair trade-off.”

11. engage in trade

“Small businesses are being encouraged to engage in international trade.”

12. tools of the trade

“A laptop and a good camera are his essential tools of the trade.”

Real-World Examples

“The European Commission, responsible for trade policies within the 27-member bloc, has intensified its negotiations to establish free trade agreements since former President Donald Trump initiated a global tariff campaign last year and China restricted exports of essential minerals.”
Reuters 23 Mar 2026
“Prosecutors alleged that from 2003 to 2009, he profited illicitly by as much as $63.8 million through trading in companies like eBay Inc., Goldman Sachs Group Inc., and Google Inc.”
Reuters 9 Jun 2015
“A company called Knight Capital had created a new computer program to link up with the new platform in order to trade shares on it.”
BBC News 10 Aug 2012
“India signed the Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement (TEPA) with the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - which includes Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - in March 2024.”
BBC News 1 Oct 2025

Etymology

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.

Word family

Related words

Idioms

Domains

EconomicsFinanceHorticultureMining

This entry

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.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL 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: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
Frequency
Very common
Level
B1 · IntermediateOxford
Updated

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