as in to exploit
disapproving
to treat (something that cannot be owned or that everyone has a right to) like a product that can be bought and sold
Do we really want to commodify our water supply? I feel like our culture is being commodified.
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Recent Examples of commodify
Or will the troves of data being amassed on nonhuman animals be used to further commodify and objectify them?
—
David Gruber, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Publicis and other advertising firms argue that these new AI tools makes marketing more relevant to customers and less wasteful, but regulators — particularly in Europe — remain wary of systems that commodify vast amounts of personal data.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
If the sole aim of a company is to profit, extraction and exploitation become the norm as businesses seek new resources to commodify
The theory of shareholder wealth maximization has, in recent years, been met with significant scrutiny.
—Aissa Dearing, JSTOR Daily, 9 Jan. 2025
Far from democratizing creativity, these projects frequently centralize authority and commodify the works of individual creators.
—Virginie Berger, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for commodify
David Gruber, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
Publicis and other advertising firms argue that these new AI tools makes marketing more relevant to customers and less wasteful, but regulators — particularly in Europe — remain wary of systems that commodify vast amounts of personal data.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 20 Mar. 2025
If the sole aim of a company is to profit, extraction and exploitation become the norm as businesses seek new resources to commodify
The theory of shareholder wealth maximization has, in recent years, been met with significant scrutiny.
—Aissa Dearing, JSTOR Daily, 9 Jan. 2025
Far from democratizing creativity, these projects frequently centralize authority and commodify the works of individual creators.
—Virginie Berger, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for commodify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commodify
Verb
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The Kremlin is also exploiting frictions between the United States and Europe over the latter’s reservations about the Iran war.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2026
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China is currently exploiting its salt lakes to source potassium and lithium.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But there is a point where the prediction shapes and manipulates the actual outcome.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
25 Apr. 2026
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Bronze Age symbolizes a time of change Bronze, a raw material, was skillfully manipulated to create objects that not only carried weight but also meaning.—
Maria Mocerino,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
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According to Lewkowitz, if a grower abuses the soil, the system ceases to be viable, leaving zero likelihood of success from a sustainability standpoint.—
Arthur Zaczkiewicz,
Footwear News,
27 Apr. 2026
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Intermediate scrutiny is why men abuse women at such high rates and get away with it.—
Wendy Murphy,
Boston Herald,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
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These forces combined will develop, produce and commercialize fuel-cell systems for such vehicles, manufacture the core components of fuel cells, and also support the development of hydrogen supply and infrastructure.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
4 Apr. 2026
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In 2024 alone, 950 startups launched to commercialize academic research.—
Tomas J. Philipson,
Fortune,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commodify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commodify. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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