commercialism

1 of 2

noun (1)

com·​mer·​cial·​ism kə-ˈmər-shə-ˌli-zəm 

1

: commercial spirit, institutions, or methods

2

: excessive emphasis on profit

commercialist

kə-ˈmər-sh(ə-)list 

noun

commercialistic

kə-ˌmər-shə-ˈli-stik 

adjective

commercialist

2 of 2

noun (2)

com·​mer·​cial·​ist kə-ˈmər-sh(ə-)list 

plural -s

: one engaged in commerce or devoted to commercialism

Examples of commercialism in a Sentence

Noun (1)

the commercialism of modern society

the increasing commercialism of the Christmas holiday

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

But those same fans are habitually suspicious of commercialism, virtual guaranteeing that a Bundesliga game could never be staged outside of Germany. — Andrew Marchand, New York Times, 14 July 2026

While commercialism exists, the authentic human connection ignited by shared emotions, like a goal celebration, represents the Cup's most enduring and invaluable legacy, transcending mere competition. — Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026

That’s not to say that Davis solely chased commercialism at the expense of art. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 26 June 2026

For him, the holiday is about commercialism, but honoring the people who paved the way. — La'tasha Givens, CBS News, 20 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1849, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for commercialism

• activism
• albinism
• altruism
• aneurism
• animism
• aphorism
• atomism
• barbarism
• bolshevism
• botulism
• brahmanism
• calvinism