commercialism

noun

com·​mer·​cial·​ism kə-ˈmər-shə-ˌli-zəm How to pronounce commercialism (audio)
1
: commercial spirit, institutions, or methods
2
: excessive emphasis on profit
commercialist noun
commercialistic adjective

Examples of commercialism in a Sentence

the commercialism of modern society the increasing commercialism of the Christmas holiday
Recent Examples on the Web Chibi Guadalupe comes to us in a globalized world that borrows freely from the visual traditions of a country on the other side of the planet for the purposes of commercialism. Jp Brammer, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2023 Along the way, there was the usual array of leaden gags, shameless commercialism and genuinely poignant moments that transcended all the award-show contrivance. The New York Times, New York Times, 13 Sep. 2022 Early iterations of Elvis Presley (Gold Boot) and Mae West (both from 1956) flirt with ideas of celebrity and commercialism, culminating in the more recognizable Licorice Marilyn (1962) and Liz #5 (Early Colored Liz) (1963). Alexandra Bregman, Forbes, 4 May 2023 Perfect for: Artsy and creative types who desire the typical scenery of a tropical island getaway without the commercialism. Bridgette Bartlett Royall, Essence, 21 July 2023 Some also protest the crass commercialism of the holiday and contemporary yoga culture more generally. Jeremy David Engels, Fortune Well, 21 June 2023 Margot Robbie, playing Barbie, is clad in an exact re-creation of the original Barbie’s outfit; Gerwig is clearly thinking about the interplay between highbrow and lowbrow, between art and commercialism. Vulture, 25 May 2023 Others want to move away from commercialism and all the plastic packaging that comes with it. Chris Moody, Anchorage Daily News, 16 May 2023 Alongside the charity has come a greater turn toward commercialism, one made unavoidably clear by the hundreds of fans present at the typically low-key, intimate festival to catch a glimpse of their idol Karry Wang, the singer-actor from TFBoys. Rebecca Davis, Variety, 18 Oct. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commercialism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commercialism was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near commercialism

Cite this Entry

“Commercialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commercialism. Accessed 26 Sep. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on commercialism

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!