trade
gb/tɹˈeɪd/ us/tɹˈeɪd/
A2
English
~ 2300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
entity
1
Buying and selling activity
The act of buying and selling things, especially between people or countries.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is in the trade of [goods/services]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'trade' (buying/selling) with 'transaction' (a single exchange) or 'work' (employment).
Synonyms
commerce (A slightly more formal term for large-scale trade.)
|
business (Broader; can include services and activities not involving exchange of goods.)
Antonyms
self-sufficiency (The state of not needing to trade because all needs are met internally.)
Collocations
international trade
|fair trade
|trade agreement
|trade deficit
|trade partner
Themes
business
|economics
|commerce
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Global trade has increased significantly in the past decade.
- The country relies heavily on trade with its neighbors.
- Trade between the two nations was halted due to sanctions.
- Many jobs in the city depend on international trade.
Learner examples
- Trade between countries helps them get what they need.
- The city makes money from trade with other towns.
- Trade is important for the local economy.
Verb
A2
action
2
Buy, sell, or exchange items
To buy, sell, or give something to someone in return for something else.
Usage pattern:
to trade [something] for [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'trade' with 'swap' in informal settings; 'trade' can be more formal or business-related.
Synonyms
exchange (Focuses on swapping items without money necessarily involved.)
|
sell (Only covers giving goods for money, not reciprocal exchange.)
Antonyms
keep (To retain something rather than exchanging it.)
Collocations
trade goods
|trade shares
|trade online
|trade directly
Themes
business
|commerce
|finance
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- They trade fresh vegetables for dairy products with neighboring farms.
- He trades stocks on the New York Stock Exchange.
- We traded our old car for a newer model.
Learner examples
- I want to trade my bike for a guitar.
- They trade fruit for bread at the market.
- We traded books after class.
Noun
B1
entity
3
Skilled manual occupation
A type of job where you use your hands or special skills to make or fix things.
Common mistake:
Some learners confuse 'trade' (manual job) with 'business' (any commercial activity).
Synonyms
craft (Focuses more on artistry and creativity in manual work.)
Antonyms
profession (Typically requires academic qualifications rather than manual skills.)
Collocations
skilled trade
|learn a trade
|trade school
Themes
work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He learned the plumbing trade from his father.
- Many students choose to enter a trade instead of going to university.
- Carpentry is a trade that requires precision and patience.
Learner examples
- She is learning the cooking trade.
- He works in the building trade.
- I want to learn a new trade.
Noun
B2
entity
4
Specific business sector
A part of business that sells certain goods or services.
Synonyms
industry (Often used for larger-scale sectors; 'trade' can be smaller or more specific.)
Collocations
wine trade
|fashion trade
|book trade
Themes
business
|work
Examples
- She works in the travel trade.
- The diamond trade is heavily regulated.
- He has years of experience in the film trade.
Learner examples
- He works in the car trade.
- My uncle is in the food trade.
- She knows many people in the fashion trade.
Verb
A2
action
5
Exchange without money
To give something to someone and get something else from them, without paying money.
Usage pattern:
to trade [something] for [something]
Synonyms
barter ('Barter' is more formal/technical for this type of exchange.)
Collocations
trade favors
|trade items
Themes
daily life
|business
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The children traded sandwiches at lunch.
- They traded baseball cards after school.
- We traded seats so she could sit by the window.
Learner examples
- I traded my apple for his banana.
- They traded toys at the park.
- We traded places on the bus.
Grammar
Dictionary form
trade
IPA
GB/tɹˈeɪd/
US/tɹˈeɪd/
Syllables & stress
trade (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (trade)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: trade
- Plural: trade, trades
Verb
- Base: trade
- 3rd Person Singular: trades
- Present Participle: trading
- Past: traded
Word family
Expressions
fair trade
1/fˈɛɹ tɹˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
Ethical trading system
A way of buying and selling things where producers get fair pay and good working conditions.
Examples
- I always buy fair trade coffee.
- Fair trade products help farmers earn a better living.
in trade
1/ˈɪn tɹˈeɪd/
fixed phrase
Working in commerce
Working in a job that involves buying and selling things.
Examples
- Most of his family are in trade.
- She has been in trade since she left school.
trade off
1/tɹˈeɪd ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
Balance competing options
To accept having less of one thing so you can have more of another thing.
Examples
- You have to trade off quality against price when shopping.
- In this job, we often trade off speed for accuracy.
trade off
1/tɹˈeɪd ˈɔf/
phrasal verb
Sacrifice one thing for another
To lose or reduce one thing so you can get something else.
Examples
- The engineers traded off image quality for faster loading times.
- Parents often have to trade off convenience against cost when choosing childcare.
- She traded off higher pay for more flexibility.
trade secret
1/tɹˈeɪd sˈikɹɪt/
fixed phrase
Confidential business information
Important business information that must be kept secret from other companies.
Examples
- The recipe is a closely guarded trade secret.
- They accused him of stealing a trade secret from his former employer.
trade up
1/tɹˈeɪd ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
Replace with better version
To get something better than what you have now by giving your old one and paying more money if needed.
Examples
- We traded up to a larger apartment last year.
- He decided to trade up his old car for a new model.