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
  • Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them.
    — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The company has documented instances in which experimental agents took unauthorized actions during testing, including exploiting vulnerabilities and accessing external systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Its tech helped investigators find that former Toronto Raptors big man Jontay Porter manipulated his play on behalf of bettors.
    — Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Instead of filming hands of actual workers, young men with GoPro cameras strapped to their heads record themselves doing jobs while holding and manipulating what look like grippy robot claws.
    — Diaa Hadid, NPR, 14 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Macedo wrote a letter to Steve Kawa, the chair of the authority’s board, ahead of the meeting saying that Choudri had misused taxpayer money and abused public trust.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 10 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a sense in the gut that really gets offended by people who abuse their power.
    — Sheelah Kolhatkar, New Yorker, 9 Oct. 2026
Verb
  • Yet in all these success stories, Haylaz underlined that traditional entertainment companies typically create characters, build an audience and subsequently commercialize that audience through consumer products and merchandise.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Bruns hopes to commercialize PhotoTat, but improving the blue dye’s durability and completing safety testing remain priorities.
    — Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Commodify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commodify. Accessed 15 Oct. 2026.

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