mercante

merchant

adjective mehr-KAHN-teh Rare

Origin: From Italian mercante, from Latin mercans.

Also means

mercantile

Usage Note

Mercante is primarily used in set phrases: marina mercante (merchant navy/marines), barco mercante (merchant ship). As a standalone adjective meaning 'commercial,' mercantil is more common in modern Spanish. Mercante rarely appears outside maritime or historical contexts.

Examples

"El barco mercante transportaba mercancías por el Mediterráneo."

Natural Translation

The merchant ship transported goods across the Mediterranean.

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