Definition of commodity
commodities
1 : an economic good: such asa : a product of agriculture or mining agricultural commodities like grain and cornb : an article of commerce especially when delivered for shipment reported the damaged commodities to officialsc : a mass-produced unspecialized product commodity chemicals commodity memory chips
2a : something useful or valued that valuable commodity, patience; also : thing, entityb : convenience, advantage … the many commodities incidental to the life of a public office … — Charles Lamb
4 : a good or service whose wide availability typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the importance of factors (such 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
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Examples of commodity in a Sentence
agricultural commodities like grain and corn
Oil is a commodity in high demand.
Patience is a rare commodity.
Recent Examples of commodity from the Web
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Mr. Naftalis, 40, is an assistant United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, specializing in securities and commodities fraud.
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Its story is simple, fairly predictable and not unadulterated with that warm and useful commodity known the the theater as schmaltz.
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Root vegetables like radishes, potatoes and onions are prized produce commodities because of their resilience to growing conditions for easy harvesting and universal menu practicality.
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And the two most lucrative commodities in Indiana, corn and soybeans, bring in just shy of $6 billion a year for farmers.
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Commodity and energy funds are volatile creatures and best suited for only small amounts of money.
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Root for your home team Tickets to Mariners and Sounders games are becoming an ever-hotter commodity.
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But the mining and resource areas have suffered since the end of the commodity-price boom, with prices in Perth and Queensland flat or falling and mortgages arrears ticking up.
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Like all commodities, price fluctuates with demand.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commodity'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of commodity
Middle English commoditee, from Anglo-French, from Latin commoditat-, commoditas, from commodus
Other Business Terms
COMMODITY Defined for English Language Learners
commodity
playDefinition of commodity for English Language Learners
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: something that is bought and sold
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: something or someone that is useful or valued
COMMODITY Defined for Kids
commodity
playDefinition of commodity for Students
commodities
: something produced by agriculture, mining, or manufacture
Law Dictionary
commodity
playLegal Definition of commodity
commodities
: a class of economic goods; especially : an item of merchandise (as soybeans) whose price is the basis of futures trading
Learn More about commodity
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for commodity Spanish Central: Translation of commodity Nglish: Translation of commodity for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of commodity for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about commodity
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