Synonyms of commerce

commerce

noun

ˈkä-(ˌ)mərs 

1

as in marketplace

the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places

a government agency in charge of regulating interstate commerce

Synonyms & Similar Words

• marketplace
• trade
• traffic
• business
• dealings
• retailing
• free trade
• merchandising
• black market
• gray market
• horse-trading
• bartering
• wholesaling
• e-tail

2

as in interaction

doings between individuals or groups

when I was doing outside consulting for the company, I never had much commerce with the in-house staff

Synonyms & Similar Words

• interaction
• relation
• intercourse
• dealings
• interrelationship
• companionship
• cross-fertilization
• cross-pollination
• company

3

as in sex

sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis

rumors of commerce between the lady and the knight spread throughout the court

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sex
• relations
• intercourse
• mating
• sexuality
• copulation
• sex act
• making love
• coitus
• sexual intercourse
• sexual relations
• coupling
• breeding
• lovemaking
• coition
• congress
• getting it on
• copulating
• fornication
• safe sex
• carnality
• insemination
• dalliance
• hanky-panky
• whoopee

Synonym Chooser

How is the word commerce distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of commerce are business, industry, trade, and traffic. While all these words mean "activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities," commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

When might business be a better fit than commerce?

The meanings of business and commerce largely overlap; however, business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

Where would industry be a reasonable alternative to commerce?

The words industry and commerce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

When would traffic be a good substitute for commerce?

The synonyms traffic and commerce are sometimes interchangeable, but traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of commerce

Some of the old downtown buzz remains, partly because while much of the commerce has cratered, roughly 90,000 people still walk the streets. —Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 28 Mar. 2026

But the show's cultural impact over the last seven weeks, especially in beauty and fashion commerce, has been impossible to deny. —Grace McCarty, Glamour, 27 Mar. 2026

For the trend-seeking 20-something-year-olds of Fort Lauderdale, Thrive Art District, a commerce and arts hub near downtown, may be their new oasis. —Amanda Rosa, Sun Sentinel, 27 Mar. 2026

Some analysts worry that Global Payments could remain tied to brick-and-mortar spending and miss the emerging shift toward agentic commerce, where autonomous AI agents compare and purchase goods and services on behalf of consumers. —Justin Zacks, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026