commodity

noun

com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmä-də-tē How to pronounce commodity (audio)
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

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) would like it to be classified as a digital commodity. Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024 In a world where crucial resources — workers, electricity, housing and more — are in short supply, the globe is expected to have an abundance of at least one commodity: oil. Courtenay Brown, Axios, 29 Oct. 2024 When they were first introduced to the general public as a common commodity in the late ‘90s, computers and the internet fundamentally changed the world overnight. Kody Boye, USA TODAY, 27 Oct. 2024 The country exported no commodities to China last year, the data shows, but Zhao has regularly posted photos of him meeting Taliban officials responsible for mining, petroleum, trade and regional connectivity since his appointment last September. Reuters, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for commodity 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of commodity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near commodity

Cite this Entry

“Commodity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commodity. Accessed 9 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

commodity

noun
com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmäd-ət-ē How to pronounce commodity (audio)
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 How to pronounce commodity (audio)
plural commodities
: a class of economic goods
especially : an item of merchandise (as soybeans) whose price is the basis of futures trading

More from Merriam-Webster on commodity

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!