Main Entry: com·mod·i·ty

Pronunciation: \kə-ˈmä-də-tē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural com·mod·i·ties

Etymology: Middle English commoditee, from Anglo-French commoditee, from Latin commoditat-, commoditas, from commodus

Date: 15th century

1 : an economic good: as a : a product of agriculture or mining b : an article of commerce especially when delivered for shipment <commodities futures> c : a mass-produced unspecialized product <commodity chemicals> <commodity memory chips>
2 a : something useful or valued <that valuable commodity patience>; also : thing, entity b : convenience, advantage
3 obsolete : quantity, lot
4 : a good or service whose wide availability typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the importance of factors (as brand name) other than price
5 : one that is subject to ready exchange or exploitation within a market <stars as individuals and as commodities of the film industry — Film Quarterly>