commercial

1 of 2

adjective

com·​mer·​cial kə-ˈmər-shəl 

1

a(1)

: occupied with or engaged in commerce or work intended for commerce

a commercial artist

(2)

: of or relating to commerce

commercial regulations

commercial services

(3)

: characteristic of commerce

commercial weights

(4)

: suitable, adequate, or prepared for commerce

found oil in commercial quantities

b(1)

: being of an average or inferior quality

commercial oxalic acid

show-quality versus commercial cattle

(2)

: producing artistic work of low standards for quick market success

2

a

: viewed with regard to profit

a commercial success

of no commercial value

b

: designed for a large market

commercial coffee production

3

: emphasizing skills and subjects useful in business

a commercial school

4

: supported by advertisers

commercial TV

commerciality

kə-ˌmər-shē-ˈa-lə-tē 

noun

commercially

kə-ˈmər-sh(ə-)lē 

adverb

commercial

2 of 2

noun

plural commercials

: an advertisement included with another broadcast (as on radio, television, or a podcast)

Synonyms of commercial

Adjective

• corporate

Examples of commercial in a Sentence

Adjective

Their music is too commercial.

The average American sees and hears thousands of commercial messages each day.

Noun

a commercial for a new kind of soap

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The Navy is likely tracking ships linked to Iran through satellites, drones and other forms of surveillance as well as each commercial vessel’s past history, said Kevin Donegan, a retired vice admiral and former commander of the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, which is based in Bahrain. —Konstantin Toropin, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

The planes will service the Auckland to New York route, one of the world's longest commercial flights that currently leaves economy passengers sitting upright for a marathon 16 to 18 hours. —CBS News, 17 Apr. 2026

Noun

He’d been asked to do a commercial for NBC Sports’ Premier League coverage. —Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026

Paramount has also started opening sports inventory to commercials that are inserted in programmatic fashion, making some of its top programming available in new ways that might bring in a wider array of ad backers. —Brian Steinberg, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

see commerce entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Noun

1935, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing commercial

• anti-commercial
• commercial announcement
• commercial bank
• commercial break
• commercial paper
• commercial traveler
• ultra-commercial

Rhymes for commercial

• inertial
• controversial
• noncommercial
• noncontroversial
• uncontroversial

Kids Definition

commercial

1 of 2 adjective

com·​mer·​cial kə-ˈmər-shəl 

1

: of or relating to commerce

2

: designed mainly for profit

especially : designed for mass appeal

the commercial theater

3

: paid for by advertisers

commercial TV

commercially

-ˈmərsh-(ə-)lē 

adverb

commercial

2 of 2 noun

: an advertisement broadcast on radio or television

Legal Definition

commercial

adjective

com·​mer·​cial

: of or relating to commerce

commercial regulations

commercially adverb