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.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commercialism
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
These factions would seem to be holiday rivals of a sort, like people who can’t get enough of all Christmas and the camp bemoaning its commercialism.
—Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025
This is an age of television contracts and commercialism and Musiala, less an outstanding player more a uniquely special one, is invaluable within that context.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
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
These factions would seem to be holiday rivals of a sort, like people who can’t get enough of all Christmas and the camp bemoaning its commercialism.
—Colin Fleming, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025
This is an age of television contracts and commercialism and Musiala, less an outstanding player more a uniquely special one, is invaluable within that context.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commercialism
Noun
-
George’s storyline this season also highlights his relentlessness and greed.—
Jon Blistein,
Rolling Stone,
17 June 2025
-
Described as a darkly satirical tale of family and greed, with Shakespearean roots, the show follows a ruthless real estate tycoon bent on gentrifying the heart of America, whose quest begins to threaten his empire and embroil his family in the violent past of a lakeside town.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
12 June 2025
Noun
-
Lucy’s materialism is what drove the two apart before.—
Myisha Battle,
Time,
20 June 2025
-
In a world that encourages materialism and consumerism, choosing to leave space—even if only 20%—sends a powerful message to yourself and, possibly, inspires others to do the same.—
Mary Cornetta,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commercialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commercialism. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share