# merchant

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈmɜːtʃənt/ · frequency rank #6,266

## Definitions
1. A person who traffics in commodities for profit.
2. The owner or operator of a retail business.
3. A trading vessel; a merchantman.
4. Someone who is noted for a stated type of activity or behaviour.
5. A supercargo.

## Etymology
From Middle English marchaunt, from Anglo-Norman marchaunt, from mercans, from the verb mercor (“I trade, deal, sell”).

## Easily confused with
- **merchants** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/merchant-vs-merchants)
- **Marchand** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/marchand-vs-merchant)

## Common misspellings (13)
`emrchant`, `mecrhant`, `mercahnt`, `mercchant`, `merchannt`, `merchantt`, `merchatn`, `merchhant`, `merchnat`, `merhcant`, `merrchant`, `mmerchant`, `mrechant`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/merchant