mercantilist

/ˈmɜːrkənˌtɪlɪst/
adjective
  1. Relating to mercantilism or its policies.
    • The mercantilist policies of the 17th century included high tariffs on foreign goods.
    • The country's mercantilist approach led to tensions with its trading partners.
    • She wrote a paper on mercantilist trade practices in colonial America.
noun
  1. A person who supports or follows mercantilism, an economic system where a country tries to increase its wealth by exporting more than it imports, often with government control.
    • The mercantilist argued that the country should limit imports to protect local industries.
    • Many modern economists disagree with the mercantilist's belief that wealth is measured only by gold and silver.
    • Historians often describe the king's advisor as a strict mercantilist who favored tariffs.
  2. A person who believes in protecting a country's economy through trade barriers and government regulation, sometimes used in modern debates.
    • Some politicians today are called mercantilists because they want to control imports tightly.
    • The mercantilist view that trade is a zero-sum game is often criticized by free-trade advocates.
    • In the trade debate, the mercantilist insisted that tariffs would save domestic jobs.
What does "mercantilist" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean