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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of commercialism
Part of what fascinated me about their presentation was not only their refusal to kowtow to male desire, which for decades had a stranglehold on rock aesthetics, but a concomitant disavowal of commercialism.
—
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
But while the likes of Andy Warhol (who was just nine years his senior) turned their focus to commercialism and consumer society, Hockney appeared more concerned with his immediate surroundings.
—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.
—
Frank Digiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
This rampant commercialism has taken over our sentimental holidays.
—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
Amanda Petrusich,
New Yorker,
15 June 2026
But while the likes of Andy Warhol (who was just nine years his senior) turned their focus to commercialism and consumer society, Hockney appeared more concerned with his immediate surroundings.
—
Oscar Holland,
CNN Money,
12 June 2026
As print and television media fumbled their way online, Gawker used the internet to pull back the curtain on celebrity, mainstream media, politics and creeping commercialism.
—
Frank Digiacomo,
HollywoodReporter,
8 May 2026
This rampant commercialism has taken over our sentimental holidays.
—
Laura Washington,
Chicago Tribune,
6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commercialism
Noun
-
Released at the tail end of Reaganomics, Carpenter’s most politically forward thriller now feels like a decoder ring for ’80s-era greed, detachment, complacency and ruthlessness.
-
Does this show reveal more to me how the most vulnerable amongst us are suffering as a result of disinterest, apathy, greed?
Noun
-
But Veda is no idealist out to end wars or reject her parents’ materialism.
-
Because materialism had an irreligious connotation, Hattem says it was left out of the national conversation until the Gilded Age of the 1920s, when people start saying the quiet part out loud.
Noun
-
This can trigger jealousy, possessiveness, taboo-like attractions, emotional ultimatums, social power plays or money issues that reveal deeper conflicts.
-
Shot in Scope, filled with intimate closeups of the couple, the film lets the audience experience the same upsetting jolt as Gil over Jacques’ desire for control and toxic possessiveness.
Cite this Entry
“Commercialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commercialism. Accessed 3 Jul. 2026.
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