dealer

See also: Dealer

English

Etymology

From Middle English delare, from Old English dǣlere, from Proto-West Germanic [Term?]. By surface analysis, deal +‎ -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Deeler, West Frisian dieler, Dutch deler, German Teiler, Swedish delare.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈdiːlə(ɹ)/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -iːlə(ɹ)

Noun

dealer (plural dealers)

1. One who deals in goods, especially automobiles; a middleman.

   Synonyms: salesman, peddler

   That used car dealer gave me a great deal on my 1962 rusted-out Volkswagen bug!

2. A drug dealer, one who peddles illicit drugs.

   Synonym: peddler

   • 1967, Leonard Cohen, “The Stranger Song”, in Songs of Leonard Cohen:

     It's true that all the men you knew were dealers
     Who said they were through with dealing

3. A particular type of stock broker or trader.
4. The person who deals the cards in a card game.
5. One who deals or metes out anything.
   • 2018, Kate Stanley, Practices of Surprise in American Literature after Emerson, page 90:

     Dealt a decisive blow, Newman himself becomes a vengeful dealer of blows, perpetuating the repetitive cycle of repression and eruption […]

Derived terms

• AADAOPA
• arms dealer
• art dealer
• bookdealer
• broker-dealer
• dealer board
• dealerdom
• dealer's choice
• dealership
• double-dealer
• drug dealer
• drug-dealer
• horsedealer
• interdealer
• macaroni dealer
• megadealer
• misdealer
• newsdealer
• nondealer
• plain dealer
• scrap dealer
• slavedealer
• subdealer
• wheeler-dealer

Translations

one who deals in things, e.g. automobiles

• Arabic: تَاجِر m (tājir), تَاجِرَة f (tājira)
• Azerbaijani: alverçi, ticarətçi, tacir, mal satan
• Belarusian: ды́лер m (dýljer), гандля́р m (handljár)
• Bengali: কারবারী (bn) (karbari)
• Bulgarian: търго́вец (bg) m (tǎrgóvec)
• Catalan: concessionari m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 商人 (zh) (shāngrén)

• Czech: prodejce (cs) m, obchodník (cs) m, zprostředkovatel m
• Danish: forhandler (da) c
• Dutch: dealer (nl) m
• Estonian: diiler
• Finnish: jälleenmyyjä (fi)
• French: concessionnaire (fr) m
• German: Händler (de) m
• Italian: distributore (it) m, rivenditore (it), rappresentante (it)
• Japanese: ディーラー (ja) (dīrā), 商人 (ja) (しょうにん, shōnin)
• Korean: 딜러 (dilleo), 영맨 (yeongmaen), 상인(商人) (ko) (sang'in)
• Latin: mangō (la) m
• Macedonian: тр́говец m (tŕgovec)
• Māori: kaihokohoko
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: forhandler m

• Persian:

  Iranian Persian: دَلَّال (fa) (dallâl), مُعامِلِه‌گَر (mo'âmele-gar), تاجِر (fa) (tâjer)

• Polish: diler (pl) m, dilerka (pl) f, dealer (pl) m, dealerka f
• Portuguese: negociante (pt) m or f
• Romanian: dealer (ro) m, vânzător (ro) m
• Russian: ди́лер (ru) m (díler), торго́вец (ru) m (torgóvec)
• Scottish Gaelic: dèiligear m
• Spanish: concesionario (es) m, díler m (Latin America), dealer m
• Thai: ผู้ค้า (pûu-káa)
• Ukrainian: ди́лер m (dýler), торго́вець m (torhóvecʹ)

drug dealer — see drug dealer

a particular type of stock broker or trader

• Belarusian: ды́лер m (dýljer), ма́клер m (mákljer)
• Bulgarian: ди́лър m (dílǎr)
• Danish: børshandler c, fondshandler c
• Estonian: maakler, diiler
• Italian: piazzista (it)
• Japanese: ディーラー (ja) (dīrā)
• Korean: 딜러 (dilleo)
• Macedonian: ди́лер m (díler)
• Romanian: dealer (ro) m
• Russian: ди́лер (ru) m (díler), ма́клер (ru) m (mákler)
• Thai: ผู้ค้า (pûu-káa)
• Ukrainian: ди́лер m (dýler), ма́клер m (mákler)

the person who deals the cards in a card game — see also giver,‎ croupier

• Bulgarian: раздава́ч m (razdaváč)
• Catalan: croupier m
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 荷官 (héguān), 莊家 / 庄家 (zh) (zhuāngjiā), 莊 / 庄 (zh) (zhuāng)

• Czech: rozdávající m, krupiér m, bankéř (cs) m
• Danish: kortgiver c
• Dutch: gever (nl) m
• Estonian: diiler, jagaja
• Finnish: jakaja (fi)
• French: croupier (fr) m, donneur (fr) m
• German: Geber (de) m
• Japanese: 親 (ja) (おや, oya), ディーラー (ja) (dīrā)
• Korean: 딜러 (dilleo)
• Macedonian: ра́здавач m (rázdavač), ди́лер m (díler)
• Māori: kaiwhiuwhiu
• Polish: rozdający m, rozdająca f
• Portuguese: distribuidor (pt) m
• Romanian: dealer (ro) m
• Russian: сдаю́щий (ru) m (sdajúščij), раздаю́щий (ru) m (razdajúščij)
• Spanish: repartidor de naipes m
• Thai: เจ้ามือ (th) (jâo-mʉʉ)

Anagrams

• Leader, leader, leared, red ale, redeal, relade, relead

Dutch

Etymology

From English dealer. By surface analysis, dealen (“to deal drugs”) +‎ -er. Doublet of deler.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdiː.lər/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

dealer m (plural dealers, diminutive dealertje n)

1. dealer (seller of automobiles)

   Synonym: autodealer

2. (informal) drug dealer

   Synonyms: drugsdealer, nachtapotheker

Derived terms

• autodealer
• drugsdealer

Finnish

Etymology

< English dealer

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdiːler/, [ˈdiːle̞r]
• Rhymes: -iːler

Noun

dealer

1. alternative form of diileri

Declension

Inflection of dealer (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)
nominative		dealer	dealerit
genitive		dealerin	dealerien dealereiden dealereitten
partitive		dealeria	dealereita dealereja
illative		dealeriin	dealereihin
		singular	plural
nominative		dealer	dealerit
accusative	nom.	dealer	dealerit
	gen.	dealerin
genitive		dealerin	dealerien dealereiden dealereitten
partitive		dealeria	dealereita dealereja
inessive		dealerissa	dealereissa
elative		dealerista	dealereista
illative		dealeriin	dealereihin
adessive		dealerilla	dealereilla
ablative		dealerilta	dealereilta
allative		dealerille	dealereille
essive		dealerina	dealereina
translative		dealeriksi	dealereiksi
abessive		dealeritta	dealereitta
instructive		—	dealerein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of dealer (Kotus type 6/paperi, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dealerini dealerini accusative nom. dealerini dealerini gen. dealerini genitive dealerini dealerieni dealereideni dealereitteni partitive dealeriani dealereitani dealerejani inessive dealerissani dealereissani elative dealeristani dealereistani illative dealeriini dealereihini adessive dealerillani dealereillani ablative dealeriltani dealereiltani allative dealerilleni dealereilleni essive dealerinani dealereinani translative dealerikseni dealereikseni abessive dealerittani dealereittani instructive — — comitative — dealereineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative dealerisi dealerisi accusative nom. dealerisi dealerisi gen. dealerisi genitive dealerisi dealeriesi dealereidesi dealereittesi partitive dealeriasi dealereitasi dealerejasi inessive dealerissasi dealereissasi elative dealeristasi dealereistasi illative dealeriisi dealereihisi adessive dealerillasi dealereillasi ablative dealeriltasi dealereiltasi allative dealerillesi dealereillesi essive dealerinasi dealereinasi translative dealeriksesi dealereiksesi abessive dealerittasi dealereittasi instructive — — comitative — dealereinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dealerimme dealerimme accusative nom. dealerimme dealerimme gen. dealerimme genitive dealerimme dealeriemme dealereidemme dealereittemme partitive dealeriamme dealereitamme dealerejamme inessive dealerissamme dealereissamme elative dealeristamme dealereistamme illative dealeriimme dealereihimme adessive dealerillamme dealereillamme ablative dealeriltamme dealereiltamme allative dealerillemme dealereillemme essive dealerinamme dealereinamme translative dealeriksemme dealereiksemme abessive dealerittamme dealereittamme instructive — — comitative — dealereinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative dealerinne dealerinne accusative nom. dealerinne dealerinne gen. dealerinne genitive dealerinne dealerienne dealereidenne dealereittenne partitive dealerianne dealereitanne dealerejanne inessive dealerissanne dealereissanne elative dealeristanne dealereistanne illative dealeriinne dealereihinne adessive dealerillanne dealereillanne ablative dealeriltanne dealereiltanne allative dealerillenne dealereillenne essive dealerinanne dealereinanne translative dealeriksenne dealereiksenne abessive dealerittanne dealereittanne instructive — — comitative — dealereinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative dealerinsa dealerinsa accusative nom. dealerinsa dealerinsa gen. dealerinsa genitive dealerinsa dealeriensa dealereidensa dealereittensa partitive dealeriaan dealeriansa dealereitaan dealerejaan dealereitansa dealerejansa inessive dealerissaan dealerissansa dealereissaan dealereissansa elative dealeristaan dealeristansa dealereistaan dealereistansa illative dealeriinsa dealereihinsa adessive dealerillaan dealerillansa dealereillaan dealereillansa ablative dealeriltaan dealeriltansa dealereiltaan dealereiltansa allative dealerilleen dealerillensa dealereilleen dealereillensa essive dealerinaan dealerinansa dealereinaan dealereinansa translative dealerikseen dealeriksensa dealereikseen dealereiksensa abessive dealerittaan dealerittansa dealereittaan dealereittansa instructive — — comitative — dealereineen dealereinensa

Further reading

• “dealer”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 14 May 2026

French

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English deal, suffixed with -er.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.le/

Verb

dealer

1. (slang) to deal (drugs)

Conjugation

Conjugation of dealer (see also Appendix:French verbs)

infinitive	simple	dealer
	compound	avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1	simple	dealant /di.lɑ̃/
	compound	ayant + past participle
past participle		dealé /di.le/
		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		je (j’)	tu	il, elle, on	nous	vous	ils, elles
(simple tenses)	present	deale /dil/	deales /dil/	deale /dil/	dealons /di.lɔ̃/	dealez /di.le/	dealent /dil/
	imperfect	dealais /di.lɛ/	dealais /di.lɛ/	dealait /di.lɛ/	dealions /di.ljɔ̃/	dealiez /di.lje/	dealaient /di.lɛ/
	past historic2	dealai /di.le/	dealas /di.la/	deala /di.la/	dealâmes /di.lam/	dealâtes /di.lat/	dealèrent /di.lɛʁ/
	future	dealerai /dil.ʁe/	dealeras /dil.ʁa/	dealera /dil.ʁa/	dealerons /dil.ʁɔ̃/	dealerez /dil.ʁe/	dealeront /dil.ʁɔ̃/
	conditional	dealerais /dil.ʁɛ/	dealerais /dil.ʁɛ/	dealerait /dil.ʁɛ/	dealerions /di.lə.ʁjɔ̃/	dealeriez /di.lə.ʁje/	dealeraient /dil.ʁɛ/
(compound tenses)	present perfect	present indicative of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect	imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
	past anterior2	past historic of avoir + past participle
	future perfect	future of avoir + past participle
	conditional perfect	conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive		que je (j’)	que tu	qu’il, qu’elle	que nous	que vous	qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple tenses)	present	deale /dil/	deales /dil/	deale /dil/	dealions /di.ljɔ̃/	dealiez /di.lje/	dealent /dil/
	imperfect2	dealasse /di.las/	dealasses /di.las/	dealât /di.la/	dealassions /di.la.sjɔ̃/	dealassiez /di.la.sje/	dealassent /di.las/
(compound tenses)	past	present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
	pluperfect2	imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative		–	tu	–	nous	vous	–
simple		—	deale /dil/	—	dealons /di.lɔ̃/	dealez /di.le/	—
compound		—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	simple imperative of avoir + past participle	—
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way: past historic → present perfect past anterior → pluperfect imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive (Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Derived terms

• dealeur

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English dealer.

Alternative forms

• dealeur

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.lœʁ/

Noun

dealer m (plural dealers, feminine dealeuse)

1. (slang) drug dealer

Anagrams

• leader

Indonesian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English dealer, from Middle English delare, from Old English dǣlere. Doublet of diler.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Indonesian) IPA^(key): /ˈdilər/ [ˈdi.lər]
• Rhymes: -ilər

Noun

dealêr (plural dealer-dealer)

1. dealer
   1. distributor

      Synonyms: agen, bandar, distributor, pemasok, penyalur, penyuplai, tauke, pengedar

   2. drug dealer

      Synonym: pengedar narkoba

Further reading

• “dealer”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Polish

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English dealer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdi.lɛr/
• Rhymes: -ilɛr
• Syllabification: dea‧ler

Noun

dealer m pers (female equivalent dealerka, related adjective dealerski)

1. alternative spelling of diler

Declension

Declension of dealer

	singular	plural
nominative	dealer	dealerzy/dealery (deprecative)
genitive	dealera	dealerów
dative	dealerowi	dealerom
accusative	dealera	dealerów
instrumental	dealerem	dealerami
locative	dealerze	dealerach
vocative	dealerze	dealerzy

Derived terms

nouns

• dealerstwo

Further reading

• “dealer”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[2] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “dealer”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[3] (in Polish)
• dealer in PWN's encyclopedia

Romanian

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English dealer.

Noun

dealer m (plural dealeri)

1. dealer

Declension

	singular		plural
	indefinite	definite	indefinite	definite
nominative-accusative	dealer	dealerul	dealeri	dealerii
genitive-dative	dealer	dealerului	dealeri	dealerilor
vocative	dealerule		dealerilor

Spanish

Alternative forms

• díler (Latin America, Spain)

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from English dealer.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈdileɾ/ [ˈd̪i.leɾ]
• Rhymes: -ileɾ
• Syllabification: dea‧ler

Noun

dealer m (plural dealers)

1. dealer

Usage notes

• According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

Further reading

• Seco, Manuel; Andrés, Olimpia; Ramos, Gabino (2023), “dealer”, in Diccionario del español actual (in Spanish), third digital edition, Fundación BBVA
• “dealer”, in Diccionario de americanismos [Dictionary of Americanisms] (in Spanish), Association of Academies of the Spanish Language [Spanish: Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española], 2010