merchant
mer·chant / ˈmərchənt/ • n. 1. a person or company involved in wholesale trade, esp. one dealing with foreign countries or supplying merchandise to a particular trade: the area's leading timber merchant | a tea merchant. ∎ a retail trader; a store owner: the credit cards are accepted by 10 million merchants worldwide. ∎ (esp. in historical contexts) a person involved in trade or commerce: prosperous merchants and clothiers had established a middle class. 2. inf., chiefly derog. a person with a partiality or aptitude for a particular activity or viewpoint: his driver was no speed merchant | a merchant of death. • adj. of or relating to merchants, trade, or commerce: the growth of the merchant classes. ∎ (of ships, sailors, or shipping activity) involved with commerce rather than military activity: a merchant seaman.
merchant
merchant prince a person who has acquired sufficient wealth from trading to wield political influence.