Meaning & use
dealing
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Meanings
nounusually plural
The way someone behaves in business or in relationships with other people.
Grammar: Usually plural: dealings; fair dealing is the main singular use.
Patterns
- dealings with someone
- fair dealing
Her honest dealings earned the clients' trust.
We have had no dealings with that firm.
He was known for fair dealing.
noununcountable
The buying and selling of something, especially illegal drugs or stolen goods.
Grammar: Often pre-modified: drug dealing.
Patterns
- drug dealing
He was arrested for drug dealing.
Police are cracking down on illegal dealing.
Street dealing has fallen in the area.
noununcountable
The act of giving out playing cards to players.
Grammar: Used in card games.
Patterns
- the dealing of cards
The dealing took only a minute.
Fast dealing keeps the game moving.
After the dealing, everyone looked at their cards.
noununcountable
The act of handling a problem or a task.
Grammar: Often with with: dealing with complaints.
Patterns
- dealing with something
Dealing with customers takes patience.
His job involves dealing with complaints.
Dealing with grief is not easy.
Word forms
| plural | dealings |
|---|
Common combinations
- fair dealing
- The shop is praised for fair dealing.
- business dealings
- His business dealings were investigated.
- drug dealing
- Drug dealing carries heavy sentences.
- underhand dealings
- The report revealed underhand dealings.
- dealings with someone
- I have had no dealings with him.
Synonyms and how they differ
- transactions
- Transactions are specific exchanges of money or goods, while dealings covers the broader relationship.
- trading
- Trading is buying and selling in general, and is neutral where dealing can sound illegal.
- relations
- Relations suggests the overall connection between people or groups, with less sense of business.
- trafficking
- Trafficking implies large-scale illegal movement of goods or people, which is more serious.
Word family
- deal verb
- To handle, trade or give out cards.
- deal noun
- An agreement or a bargain.
- dealer noun
- A person who trades in goods or deals cards.
- dealership noun
- A business that sells cars.
- dealings noun
- Business or personal contacts.
Practice
The two companies have had no ___ with each other since the dispute.
Choose one answer.
Dealings with someone means business contacts. The other options are the wrong word forms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “dealing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.