dealing

The word “dealing” means a business transaction or piece of trade. In plain terms, a business transaction, or a way of treating and interacting with people.

“Dealing” is pronounced DEE-lihng (/ˈdiːlɪŋ/ in IPA).

Here is “dealing” used in a sentence: “Their dealing in rare coins made them a small fortune.”

“Dealing” is a noun.

The word “dealing” comes from Old English. From Old English daeling, formed from deal plus -ing.

“Dealing” is a fairly common word in modern English.

“Dealing” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a business transaction or piece of trade.

The two are close. A transaction is usually a single, defined exchange — one purchase or payment. A dealing, often used in the plural "dealings," tends to cover the broader business or interactions between parties over time. So a transaction is one event, while dealings suggest an ongoing pattern of trade or contact.

"Dealings" is the common plural, meaning the overall business, trade, or relations someone has with another party — as in "honest dealings" or "he had no dealings with them." It covers the whole course of transactions and contact between people or organisations, and often carries a hint about whether that conduct is fair or shady.

Buying stock from a supplier, selling shares, or striking a trade agreement are all dealings — individual pieces of business or trade. In practice the word is most often used in the plural to describe someone's overall commercial conduct, as in "the company's dealings with overseas partners."