- 1 [uncountable] the activity of buying and selling or of exchanging goods or services between people or countries international/foreign trade Trade between the two countries has increased. the international trade in oil the arms/drugs, etc. trade CollocationsBusinessRunning a business buy/acquire/own/sell a company/firm/franchise set up/establish/start/start up/launch a business/company run/operate a business/company/franchise head/run a firm/department/team make/secure/win/block a deal expand/grow/build the business boost/increase investment/spending/sales/turnover/earnings/exports/trade increase/expand production/output/sales boost/maximize production/productivity/efficiency/income/revenue/profit/profitability achieve/maintain/sustain growth/profitability cut/reduce/bring down/lower/slash costs/prices announce/impose/make cuts/cutbacksSales and marketing break into/enter/capture/dominate the market gain/grab/take/win/boost/lose market share find/build/create a market for something start/launch an advertising/a marketing campaign develop/launch/promote a product/website create/generate demand for your product attract/get/retain/help customers/clients drive/generate/boost/increase demand/sales beat/keep ahead of/out-think/outperform the competition meet/reach/exceed/miss sales targetsFinance draw up/set/present/agree/approve a budget keep to/balance/cut/reduce/slash the budget be/come in below/under/over/within budget generate income/revenue/profit/funds/business fund/finance a campaign/a venture/an expansion/spending/a deficit provide/raise/allocate capital/funds attract/encourage investment/investors recover/recoup costs/losses/an investment get/obtain/offer somebody/grant somebody credit/a loan apply for/raise/secure/arrange/provide financeFailure lose business/trade/customers/sales/revenue accumulate/accrue/incur/run up debts suffer/sustain enormous/heavy/serious losses face cuts/a deficit/redundancy/bankruptcy file for/ (North American English) enter/avoid/escape bankruptcy (British English) go into administration/liquidation liquidate/wind up a company survive/weather a recession/downturn propose/seek/block/oppose a merger launch/make/accept/defeat a takeover bidinternational see also balance of trade, cap and trade, fair-trade, free trade Wordfindertradeboom, business, commerce, embargo, import, market, monopoly, sanction, tariff, trade Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebooming, brisk, burgeoning, … verb + tradeconduct, do, engage in, … trade + verbboom, expand, flourish, … trade + nounbalance, figures, performance, … prepositionin a/the trade, trade between, trade in, … See full entry See related entries: International relations, Economy
- 2 [countable] a particular type of business the building/food/tourist, etc. trade He works in the retail trade (= selling goods in shops/stores). see also rag trade Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebooming, brisk, burgeoning, … verb + tradeconduct, do, engage in, … trade + verbboom, expand, flourish, … trade + nounbalance, figures, performance, … prepositionin a/the trade, trade between, trade in, … See full entry
- 3the trade [singular + singular or plural verb] a particular area of business and the people or companies that are connected with it They offer discounts to the trade (= to people who are working in the same business). a trade magazine/journal Their company is respected and well known in the trade. see also stock-in-trade Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebooming, brisk, burgeoning, … verb + tradeconduct, do, engage in, … trade + verbboom, expand, flourish, … trade + nounbalance, figures, performance, … prepositionin a/the trade, trade between, trade in, … See full entry
- 4 [uncountable, countable] the amount of goods or services that you sell synonym business Trade was very good last month. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectivebooming, brisk, burgeoning, … verb + tradeconduct, do, engage in, … trade + verbboom, expand, flourish, … trade + nounbalance, figures, performance, … prepositionin a/the trade, trade between, trade in, … See full entry
- 5 [uncountable, countable] a job, especially one that involves working with your hands and that requires special training and skills He was a carpenter by trade. When she leaves school, she wants to learn a trade. She was surrounded by the tools of her trade (= everything she needs to do her job). Synonymsworkemployment career profession occupation tradeThese are all words for the work that somebody does in return for payment, especially over a long period of time. work the job that somebody does, especially in order to earn money:It’s very difficult to find work at the moment.employment (rather formal) work, especially when it is done to earn money; the state of being employed or the situation in which people have work:Only half the people here are in paid employment.career the job or series of jobs that somebody has in a particular area of work, usually involving more responsibility as time passes:He had a very distinguished career in the Foreign Office.profession a type of job that needs special training or skill, especially one that needs a high level of education:He hopes to enter the medical profession. The profession is all the people who work in a particular profession:the legal profession. The professions are the traditional jobs that need a high level of education and training, such as being a doctor or lawyer.occupation (rather formal) a job or profession:Please state your name, age, and occupation.trade a job, especially one that involves working with your hands and requires special training and skills:Carpentry is a highly skilled trade.Patterns in/out of work/employment (a) full-time/part-time work/employment/career/occupation permanent/temporary work/employment (a) well-paid work/employment/profession/occupation (a) low-paid work/employment/occupation to look for/seek/find work/employment/a career/an occupation to get/obtain/give somebody/offer somebody/create/generate/provide work/employment Oxford Collocations Dictionary adjectiveskilled, building verb + tradelearn, carry on, exercise, … prepositionby trade phrasesa jack of all trades, the tricks of the trade See full entry Word Originlate Middle English (as a noun): from Middle Low German, literally ‘track’, of West Germanic origin; related to tread. Early senses included ‘course, way of life’, which gave rise in the 16th cent. to ‘habitual practice of an occupation’, ‘skilled handicraft’. The current verb senses date from the late 16th cent.Extra examples All around the pyramids, salespeople were doing a roaring trade in souvenirs. All manner of hawkers and street sellers were plying their trade. He built up a trade in seeds, corn and manure. It has been a bad year for the retail trade. Several local companies took part in a trade mission to Spain. She is a carpenter by trade. She’s in the wholesale fruit trade. Shops have lost a day’s trade. Steps were taken to ban the trade in ivory. The US has restricted trade with India. The US was accused of employing unfair trade practices. The countries were locked in a trade war, refusing to allow imports of each other’s goods. The employees were fired for divulging trade secrets to a competitor. The experienced artisan would pass on the tricks of the trade to the apprentice. The five countries formed a regional trade bloc. The organization promotes fair trade with developing countries. The road has been an important trade route since prehistoric times. The store has lost a day’s trade. The vase was bought by a trade buyer. These flour sacks are known in the trade as ‘pockets’. They already dominated the domestic trade in raw jute. Trade between the Adriatic ports and their hinterland had grown. Work in the building trades became scarce. a bid to boost foreign trade attempts to curb the illicit trade in exotic species talks between trade officials from the two countries the area’s dependence on the tourist trade the boom and slump periods of a trade cycle the evil trade in drugs the tools needed to carry on a trade the trade body representing water companies Dressmaking is a highly skilled trade. Employment in the building trade is notoriously irregular. Foreign trade plays an important part in the economy. He works in the retail trade. He’ll show you some of the tricks of the trade if you ask him. If you’ve got a trade, you need never be out of work. My parents always wanted me to leave school early and learn a trade. Stores are doing a brisk trade in wizard accessories and vampire kits. The international trade in oil has been massively affected. The organization denied any involvement in the illegal arms trade. They offer discounts to the trade. We buy 10% of our bananas from fair-trade sources. You should advertise in newspapers and trade magazines.Idioms
(informal) to sell a lot of something very quickly The ice-cream vendors were doing a roaring trade.
a person who can do many different types of work, but who perhaps does not do them very well
(British English) to look for customers, passengers, etc. in order to do business taxis plying for hire outside the theatre
to do your work or business This is the restaurant where he plied his trade as a cook. Drug dealers openly plied their trade in front of children.
the clever ways of doing things, known and used by people who do a particular job or activity
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