A merchant is someone who buys and sells goods to make money. Merchants have existed for thousands of years, connecting people who make things with people who need them. A merchant might buy pottery from one village and sell it in another, or import spices from distant lands to sell in local markets.

Throughout history, merchants played a crucial role in spreading ideas, technologies, and cultures between civilizations. Medieval merchants traveled dangerous roads to trade silk, salt, and other valuable goods. Some merchants grew so wealthy and powerful that they funded explorers, built grand ships, and even influenced kings and governments.

Today, merchants take many forms. A shopkeeper who owns a hardware store is a merchant. Online sellers are sometimes called e-merchants. The owner of a small bookstore and the founder of a major retail company are both merchants, though they operate at different scales.

The word appears in phrases like merchant marine (the fleet of ships that carry goods in trade) and merchant bank (a bank that helps businesses with large financial deals).