commodity

noun

com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmä-də-tē 

plural commodities

1

: an economic good: such as

a

: a product of agriculture or mining

agricultural commodities like grain and corn

b

: an article of commerce especially when delivered for shipment

reported the damaged commodities to officials

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

… the many commodities incidental to the life of a public office …

—Charles Lamb

3

: 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

4

: one that is subject to ready exchange or exploitation within a market

… stars as individuals and as commodities of the film industry.

—Film Quarterly

5

obsolete : quantity, lot

Synonyms of commodity

• object
• entity
• substance
• reality

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 on the Web

The scheme will cover key sectors including mining commodities and is aimed at attracting global players to set up or expand operations in the city. —Lee Ying Shan,emily Tan, CNBC, 16 Apr. 2026

And before that, the 2007–08 food price crisis raised agricultural commodity prices by over 100%, plunging 150 million people into extreme poverty — and prompting the creation of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). —Shobha Shetty, Fortune, 16 Apr. 2026

Trading commodities, futures, and options involves a substantial risk of loss. —Usa Today, USA Today, 16 Apr. 2026

Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, stopping about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil supply, as well as considerable supplies of other commodities like natural gas, helium and fertilizer. —Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing commodity

• hot commodity

Rhymes for commodity

• oddity

Kids Definition

commodity

noun

com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmäd-ət-ē 

plural commodities

1

: a product of agriculture or mining

2

: an article that is bought and sold in commerce

Legal Definition

commodity

noun

com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmä-də-tē 

plural commodities

: a class of economic goods

especially : an item of merchandise (as soybeans) whose price is the basis of futures trading