barter

[ bahr-ter ]

verb (used without object)

1. to trade by exchange of commodities rather than by the use of money.

   Synonyms: traffic

verb (used with object)

1. to exchange in trade, as one commodity for another; trade.

   Synonyms: traffic

2. to bargain away unwisely or dishonorably (usually followed by away ):

   bartering away his pride for material gain.

noun

1. the act or practice of bartering.
2. items or an item for bartering:

   We arrived with new barter for the villagers.

barter

/ ˈbɑːtə /

verb

1. to trade (goods, services, etc) in exchange for other goods, services, etc, rather than for money

   the refugees bartered for food

2. intr to haggle over the terms of such an exchange; bargain

noun

1. trade by the exchange of goods

barter

1. The exchange of goods or services for other goods or services, rather than for money.

Derived Forms

• ˈbarterer, noun

Other Words From

• barter·er noun
• outbarter verb (used with object)
• un·bartered adjective
• un·barter·ing adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of barter¹

1400–50; late Middle English, apparently < Anglo-French, Old French bareter, barater ( barrator ), with shift of sense

Word History and Origins

Origin of barter¹

C15: from Old French barater to cheat; perhaps related to Greek prattein to do

Synonym Study

See trade.

Example Sentences

Growth of the independentsAfter Icon, which only recently became independent, Active International and Evergreen Trading are the largest barter shops not owned by a holding company.

From Digiday

Rather than junking it, the marketer approaches the barter agency, which takes that inventory off the retailer’s hands and resells it elsewhere.

From Digiday

A Dentsu rep wasn’t able to determine if that holding company still owns a barter shop.

From Digiday

Evergreen, meanwhile, was started in 2008 by Gordon Zellner, who cobbled together a host of veterans from the other barter firms.

From Digiday

Trade and barter of zines, recordings, fan fiction, art and photographs were also common ways for “circles” of fans to bond.

From Washington Post

An unnamed Iranian official told the news service that the barter would include Russian weapons.

From The Daily Beast

It could also gather intelligence to be traded in that shadowy barter economy of espionage.

From The Daily Beast

So there has been some real loss of "truck barter and exchange" that is simply lost, not delayed.

From The Daily Beast

But this is really cumbersome, which is why there's no such thing as an all-barter economy.

From The Daily Beast

In the right institutional setting, the human propensity to "truck, barter, and exchange" can enhance the welfare of all.

From The Daily Beast

A factor is employed to sell goods, and not to barter or exchange them, and if he should do this his principal could recover them.

From Project Gutenberg

On that occasion her excellent business judgment and her powers of barter had attracted him strongly.

From Project Gutenberg

Barter was common, and there must have been facilities for the distribution of those goods which had their origin in Gaul.

From Project Gutenberg

He caught my child up like a common street wench, a thing of sale and barter.

From Project Gutenberg

It was doubtless precisely because she distained certain forms of feminine barter that she got so much for nothing.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• haggle