Standard Lemma guide

commercialism

noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: K AH0 M ER1 SH AH0 L IH2 Z AH0 M Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The practices, methods, aims, and spirit of commerce or business.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A tendency to value profit over everything else.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: commerce, mercantilism

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: transaction, dealing, dealings

Narrower terms: trading, trade, e-commerce, exchange, interchange, initial public offering, IPO, initial offering, commercial enterprise, business enterprise, business, carriage trade, importing, importation, exporting, exportation, marketing, distribution, selling, merchandising, traffic, payment, defrayal, defrayment, evasion, nonpayment

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Italic *merks Latin merx Proto-Indo-European *-(i)yós Proto-Italic *-ijos Proto-Italic *-ios Old Latin -ios Latin -ius Latin -ium Latin commercium Proto-Indo-European *h2el-der.? Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālis Late Latin commerciālislbor. French commercialbor. English commercial Proto-Indo-European *-id- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-idyéti Proto-Hellenic *-íďďō Ancient Greek -ῐ́ζω (-ĭ́zō) Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *-mós Ancient Greek -μός (-mós) Ancient Greek -ισμός (-ismós)der. English -ism English commercialism From commercial + -ism.