commodify

Definition of commodifynext
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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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 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. — 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
  • These are working-class teachers who are victims of the class struggle, and they are being exploited by the university.
    — Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The department wants companies to maintain strong internal controls that prevent advanced systems from being exploited.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Chen has become even more adept at manipulating her voice, both in delivery and in the mix.
    — James Gui, Pitchfork, 4 Nov. 2026
  • These components guide and manipulate light on a chip, much like electronic circuits process electrical signals.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 4 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Lawyers are officers of the court, bound by ethical obligations to pursue claims in good faith and not abuse the legal process for improper purposes.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Security experts have long warned that AI voice and face cloning could be easily abused to enhance impersonation scams.
    — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 6 Nov. 2026
Verb
  • Thea Energy was spun out of Princeton University and Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory in 2022 to commercialize its stellarator technology.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In 2020, a soil scientist from Washington State University addressed this, shortly after Seattle founded the first US company, Recompose, to commercialize NOR.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 24 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Commodify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commodify. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

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