noun
- an officer on a merchant ship who is responsible for the commercial concerns of the voyage, especially the cargo and its sale
Usage: nautical; historical
Examples
- The supercargo supervised the loading of spices onto the trading vessel.
- As supercargo, he negotiated prices with merchants at each port of call.
- The ship’s supercargo kept detailed records of all cargo transactions.
- During the age of sail, a supercargo was essential for profitable trading voyages.
- The supercargo worked closely with the captain to ensure the cargo’s safety.
- Many supercarges were experienced merchants who understood international trade.