commodity

noun

com·mod·i·ty kə-ˈmä-də-tē

plural commodities

Synonyms of commodity next

: an economic good: such as

: a product of agriculture or mining

agricultural commodities like grain and corn

: an article of commerce especially when delivered for shipment

reported the damaged commodities to officials

: a mass-produced unspecialized product

commodity chemicals

commodity memory chips

: something useful or valued

that valuable commodity, patience

also : thing, entity

: convenience, advantage

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

Charles Lamb

: 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

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

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

Film Quarterly

obsolete : quantity, lot

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 Rhino horn, a coveted commodity in the traditional Asian medicine market, has led to 95% of Africa's rhinoceros population being wiped out by poaching. —

Erin Clack, Peoplemag, 22 Nov. 2023 In the last two years, olive oil prices have jumped 150% in Spain, Reuters reported, turning the staple ingredient of Mediterranean cuisine into a precious commodity. —

Byprarthana Prakash, Fortune Europe, 20 Nov. 2023 Even the biggest DDoS attacks in the world were, for their perpetrators, a relatively cheap commodity. —

Andy Greenberg, WIRED, 14 Nov. 2023 Advertisement At the start of 2023, the commodity (or wholesale) price of natural gas soared to record levels across California and below-normal temperatures caused prices to soar to unprecedented levels. —

Rob Nikolewski, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2023 The Project on Government Oversight (POGO), which advocates for government transparency and whistleblower protections, shared its initial findings with The Post after tracking several months of commodities data. —

Jonathan O'Connell, Washington Post, 14 Nov. 2023 Peak Trading Research says the macro mood is mixed but that energy markets are pulling the commodity space lower. —

WSJ, 13 Nov. 2023 Lawmakers dismissed the concerns of his and other commodities executives as merely those of futures exchanges fearful of a new competitor. —

Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2023 State Department officials have warned that not reauthorizing the elements of the program nearing their sunsets will hinder the program's long-term procurement of critical commodities and the ability of the U.S. to fund innovative research. —

Gabrielle M. Etzel, Washington Examiner, 26 Oct. 2023 See More

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