Standard Lemma guide

merchandising

noun · verb · 5 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈmɜːt͡ʃ(ə)ndaɪzɪŋ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈmɝt͡ʃənˌdaɪzɪŋ/
  • CMU ARPABET: M ER1 CH AH0 N D AY2 Z IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

gerund of merchandise

Trade in merchandise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, archaic, attributive, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

gerund of merchandise

The promotion of goods for sale in a store, especially through advertising, attractive displays, discounts, etc.; also (generally), the promotion of any goods or services for sale.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, attributive, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: marketing

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

gerund of merchandise

The promotion of a film, music group, theatre production, etc., through the sale of goods bearing motifs associated with the subject being promoted; also, such goods themselves collectively; merchandise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: also, attributive, specifically, uncountable, usually

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

verb

Meaning 4

present participle and gerund of merchandise

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

the exchange of goods for an agreed sum of money

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: selling, marketing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: commerce, commercialism, mercantilism

Narrower terms: bait and switch, private treaty, bootlegging, capitalization, capitalisation, retail, wholesale, sale, syndication, dumping, dutch auction, retailing, telemarketing, teleselling, telecommerce, vending, peddling, hawking, vendition, resale

History

Etymology

From Late Middle English marchaundising (“commerce, trading; commodities, goods; (plural) dealings with other persons”) [and other forms], from marchaundisen (“to engage in commerce, traffic”) (see further at merchandise (verb)) + -ing (suffix forming gerunds). The English word is analysable as merchandise + -ing (suffix forming nouns from verbs).

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: kaupanteko — trade in merchandise
  • Finnish: myynninedistäminen — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Finnish: markkinointi — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Georgian: მერჩანდაიზინგი (merčandaizingi) — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Malay: pembarangan — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Spanish: merchandising (mérchendaisin) — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Spanish: mercadeo — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Spanish: comercialización — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Spanish: promoción comercial — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Spanish: marketeo — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Spanish: marketineo — promotion of goods for sale in a store; promotion of any goods or services for sale
  • Finnish: markkinointi oheistuotteilla — promotion of a film, etc., through the sale of goods bearing motifs associated with the subject being promoted; such goods themselves collectively
  • Finnish: oheistuotemyynti — promotion of a film, etc., through the sale of goods bearing motifs associated with the subject being promoted; such goods themselves collectively
Real reading context

merchandising in complete knowledge articles