Advertisement - Continue reading below

Definition of "exchange" []

  • To give in return for something received; trade: exchange dollars for francs; exchanging labor for room and board. (verb-transitive)
  • To give and receive reciprocally; interchange: exchange gifts; exchange ideas. (verb-transitive)
  • To give up for a substitute: exchange a position in the private sector for a post in government. (verb-transitive)
  • To turn in for replacement: exchange defective merchandise at a store. (verb-transitive)
  • To give something in return for something received; make an exchange. (verb-intransitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "exchange" in a sentence
  • "An important part of the growing global integration of the early modern era was the exchange of many new goods and products both interregionally and globally (called the “Columbian exchange”)."
  • "You are correct that consensual sex without first demanding a slab of juicy mastodon meat in exchange is a happier assumption."
  • "It takes practice and forethought to find a relaxed way to communicate all necessary information while maintaining one's seductive edge; the phrase "exchange of bodily fluids" is probably best avoided."