trading company

noun

: a company organized to carry on commerce with foreign nations or in overseas territories
trading companies played an important part in the early settlement of AmericaO. M. Dickerson
:
b
: a joint stock company for trade and usually colonization legally incorporated (as by the British Crown) under a charter granting the company rights to a specific territory within an area claimed by the authority granting the charter including legal title, a monopoly of trade, and governmental and military jurisdiction
c
: an unincorporated company with limited liability for its associates organized principally to settle and develop a land grant obtained from a legally incorporated company

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

Dictionary Entries Near trading company

Cite this Entry

“Trading company.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trading%20company. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!