as in greed
disapproving
the practice or attitude of placing an excessive emphasis on earning money, making a profit, or buying goods
the increasing commercialism of the Christmas holiday She decried the commercialism of modern society where objects of purely artistic value were often ignored.
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Recent Examples of commercialism
In 1998, in recognition of burgeoning commercialism elsewhere in Europe, a concession was made to allow domestic clubs to remain competitive.
—
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 May 2025
This is the final stop on our tour, which tells the story of how reggaetón music is fueling commercialism in Medellín and transforming tourism in the city.
—Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 18 Mar. 2025
For an experimental project that eschewed commercialism and grew in the studio, American’s backing proved pivotal, because the label provided the time and money to make whatever music Deconstruction wanted to make, which wasn’t a privilege most bands got.
—Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Sure, there’s a reasonable and informed argument to be made that its big-budget excess, rampant commercialism, and formulaic checkbox-checking exemplify everything wrong with the AAA gaming industry right now.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 May 2025
This is the final stop on our tour, which tells the story of how reggaetón music is fueling commercialism in Medellín and transforming tourism in the city.
—Cat Sposato, AFAR Media, 18 Mar. 2025
For an experimental project that eschewed commercialism and grew in the studio, American’s backing proved pivotal, because the label provided the time and money to make whatever music Deconstruction wanted to make, which wasn’t a privilege most bands got.
—Aaron Gilbreath, SPIN, 31 Dec. 2024
Sure, there’s a reasonable and informed argument to be made that its big-budget excess, rampant commercialism, and formulaic checkbox-checking exemplify everything wrong with the AAA gaming industry right now.
—ArsTechnica, 18 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commercialism
Noun
-
Sadly, and as usual, greed takes precedence over logic.—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 Aug. 2025
-
His previous war was driven by greed and cost hundreds of lives, Ka’iana’s father among them, but Kahekili claims to have learned from his mistakes and now only wants what’s best for the islands.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
31 July 2025
Noun
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Luxury brands should: • Redefine luxury beyond materialism by emphasizing authenticity, ethical sourcing and conscious consumption.—
Gjoko Muratovski,
Forbes.com,
17 June 2025
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Studio Collins Weir Studio Collins Weir designed this space to build on the warm materialism of the architecture and play to the agrarian vernacular of the Mill Valley, California, project.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
29 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commercialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commercialism. Accessed 22 Aug. 2025.
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