e-commerce

noun

e-com·​merce ˈē-ˌkä-(ˌ)mərs How to pronounce e-commerce (audio)
often attributive
: commerce conducted via the Internet

Examples of e-commerce in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Some major e-commerce platforms have also faced financial challenges in recent years, prompting restructurings, acquisitions, or shifts in business strategy. Malana Vantyler, Miami Herald, 3 June 2026 Cash from their ads, cloud, and e-commerce businesses easily covered early spending, but then companies started borrowing to pay for AI. Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 2 June 2026 The Whisky Exchange is a prominent e-commerce website that was founded in 1999 by Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, who sold the business to French drinks company Pernod Ricard in 2021. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 2 June 2026 Bricks-and-mortar retailers that moved online faced a similar shock when digital-native competitors such as Amazon built their entire operation around e-commerce. Bernard Marr, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for e-commerce

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of e-commerce was in 1993

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Cite this Entry

“E-commerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/e-commerce. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.

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