# trader

/ˈtɹeɪdɝ/ (US) · /tɹˈeɪdɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/trader
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. finance or commerce

noun · CEFR B1

someone who buys and sells things like stocks, currencies, or products to make a profit.

For teachers: an individual who executes the purchase and sale of financial instruments or physical commodities, either for their own account or on behalf of a firm.

- The currency trader watched the screens closely as the value of the dollar changed.
- Professional traders often rely on complex algorithms to identify small price discrepancies in the global energy markets before their competitors can react.

### 2. a local business owner

noun · CEFR B1 · British English

a person who runs a small business or sells goods in a market.

For teachers: a person engaged in retail or wholesale trade, often used in the context of small-scale or local commerce.

- Local traders are worried that the new shopping mall will take away their customers.
- The association of independent traders petitioned the council to reduce parking fees in the town centre to encourage more foot traffic for foot traffic.

## Examples

- The stock trader monitors the market all day.
- Local traders set up their stalls in the town square every Saturday morning to sell fresh produce.
- While institutional traders manage large portfolios for banks, retail traders often use personal accounts to speculate on price movements in the foreign exchange market.

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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.