commerce

1 of 2

noun

com·​merce ˈkä-(ˌ)mərs 

1

: social intercourse : interchange of ideas, opinions, or sentiments

… a negotiated peace that will reestablish intellectual commerce among them …

—P. B. Rice

2

: the exchange or buying and selling of commodities on a large scale involving transportation from place to place

a major center of commerce

interstate commerce

3

: sexual intercourse

commerce

2 of 2

verb

com·​merce ˈkä-(ˌ)mərs 

kə-ˈmərs

commerced; commercing

intransitive verb

archaic

: commune

Synonyms

Noun

• business
• marketplace
• trade
• traffic

Choose the Right Synonym for commerce

business, commerce, trade, industry, traffic mean activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities.

business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Examples of commerce in a Sentence

Noun

He was the Secretary of Commerce under the last President.

a government agency in charge of regulating interstate commerce

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Take Our Word For It is a contributing commerce writer for PEOPLE and has written for publications such as Byrdie, InStyle, Brides, The Zoe Report, and more. —Jessie Quinn, Peoplemag, 12 Apr. 2024

Additional reporting by: Katrina Cossey is a commerce writer, enthusiastic shopper, and devoted mom. —Maya Polton, Parents, 11 Apr. 2024

Editor's Tip: Allure commerce writer Jennifer Hussein says this serum is her go-to when her complexion looks more uneven than usual. —Jennifer Hussein, Allure, 10 Apr. 2024

The Court ruled that Congress gets its power to ban discrimination in public accommodations from the commerce clause in Article I of the Constitution. —Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 8 Apr. 2024

New York waters see more than $300 billion in commerce annually, more than 40 million passengers and more than 800,000 commercial vessels, according to the USCG. —Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 8 Apr. 2024

The suspect was charged with using fire to damage a building used in interstate commerce and as a place of activity affecting interstate commerce, according to a federal complaint. —Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024

In the age of cannabis commerce, artists have a more diverse pallet to draw onto and monetize. —Andrew Deangelo, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024

Expect more of this, as the revisionists cultivate networks—whether the International North-South Transport Corridor connecting Iran and Russia or the Eurasian commercial and financial bloc Beijing is constructing—to keep their commerce beyond Washington’s reach. —Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2024

Verb

Closing the section was a huge disturbance to I-95, an artery to travel and commerce up the east coast that's driven on by an average of 160,000 vehicles daily, according to PennDOT. —Dave Quinn, Peoplemag, 21 June 2023

What will commerce tools enable in the future? —Arjun Kapur, Forbes, 20 May 2021

Failure risks major disruption to commerce with the U.K.’s largest trading partner when the Brexit transition period ends on Dec. 31. —Joe Mayes, Bloomberg.com, 23 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle French, from Latin commercium, from com- + merc-, merx merchandise

First Known Use

Noun

1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing commerce

• m-commerce
• chamber of commerce
• e-commerce

Kids Definition

commerce

noun

com·​merce

ˈkäm-(ˌ)ərs

: buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places : trade

Etymology

Noun

from early French commerce "exchange of ideas or opinions, commerce," from Latin commercium (same meaning), from com- "with" and merc-, merx "merchandise" — related to market, merchant

Legal Definition

commerce

noun

com·​merce

1

: the exchange or buying and selling of goods, commodities, property, or services especially on a large scale and involving transportation from place to place : trade sense 2 see also commerce clause, Fair Labor Standards Act

2

: the act of engaging in sexual intercourse