Barter

How to spell barter

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce barter

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does barter mean?

1. verbTo exchange goods or services directly for other goods or services without using money.
2. nounThe system of trading goods or services directly without the use of money.

Barter in a sentence

• verb

  The farmers agreed to barter eggs for fresh vegetables.

• noun

  Before coins existed, barter was the only way to obtain goods.

• verb

  Travellers in the market often barter for a better price.

• noun

  The village economy still relies heavily on barter.

Where does barter come from?

Language of origin: French

Barter came into English in the late 1400s from the Old French verb barater, which meant to bargain, to exchange, and at times to cheat or deceive in a deal. The deeper origin is uncertain, though many scholars link it to barat, an Old French and Old Provencal noun meaning trickery, haggling, or commercial dealing. The slightly shady undertone of the early word is a useful reminder that bartering once carried a whiff of sharp practice, the sense of getting the better of someone in a swap. Over time English narrowed and cleaned up the meaning to the neutral idea of trading goods or services directly without using money. The spelling has stayed stable for centuries, and the trap for modern writers is simply the unstressed ending, which sounds like the schwa in 'martyr' or 'mortar' but is reliably spelled -ter.

How the word is built

• barter (from Old French barater: to exchange or haggle)