commodity

noun

com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmä-də-tē How to pronounce commodity (audio)
plural commodities
1
: an economic good: such as
a
: a product of agriculture or mining
agricultural commodities like grain and corn
b
: an article of commerce especially when delivered for shipment
reported the damaged commodities to officials
c
: a mass-produced unspecialized product
commodity chemicals
commodity memory chips
2
a
: something useful or valued
that valuable commodity, patience
also : thing, entity
b
: convenience, advantage
… the many commodities incidental to the life of a public office …Charles Lamb
3
: a good or service whose wide availability typically leads to smaller profit margins and diminishes the importance of factors (such as brand name) other than price
4
: one that is subject to ready exchange or exploitation within a market
… stars as individuals and as commodities of the film industry.Film Quarterly
5
obsolete : quantity, lot

Examples of commodity in a Sentence

agricultural commodities like grain and corn Oil is a commodity in high demand. Patience is a rare commodity.
Recent Examples on the Web Gillibrand said that the section, which would include the definition of a digital commodity, could become part of the once-every-five-years farm bill, on which her Senate Agriculture Committee is deliberating this year. Byleo Schwartz, Fortune Crypto, 25 Sep. 2023 As for the sample from asteroid Bennu, that will be taken to a special facility at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, where work can begin to understand the chemistry of this precious commodity. Georgina Torbet, The Verge, 24 Sep. 2023 Francisco Blanch, Bank of America’s head of global commodities, also believes oil prices are set to rise—and for similar reasons to Struyven and Malek. Will Daniel, Fortune, 22 Sep. 2023 The commodity upheaval has triggered inflation and caused serious hardships for poor countries. Jennifer Peltz and Derek Gatopoulos, BostonGlobe.com, 19 Sep. 2023 All the images will disappear—in part because each image assassinates and can be exchanged for every other, in a rhythm of crumbling and assembling that belongs not to time itself but, vitally, to the commodity. Tobi Haslett, Harper's Magazine, 18 Sep. 2023 Alfalfa uses more of the state’s water than any other commodity. Shannon Sollitt, The Salt Lake Tribune, 18 Sep. 2023 There was the pandemic, sure, but also a related microchip shortage that bit hard because vehicles now require more computing components; a commodity squeeze influenced by war in Ukraine; inflation; and interest rate hikes. WIRED, 15 Sep. 2023 Energy stocks are vulnerable to the boom-and-bust cycles that are common in commodity markets. WSJ, 11 Sep. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commodity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English commoditee, from Anglo-French, from Latin commoditat-, commoditas, from commodus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of commodity was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near commodity

Cite this Entry

“Commodity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commodity. Accessed 4 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

commodity

noun
com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmäd-ət-ē How to pronounce commodity (audio)
plural commodities
1
: a product of agriculture or mining
2
: an article that is bought and sold in commerce

Legal Definition

commodity

noun
com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmä-də-tē How to pronounce commodity (audio)
plural commodities
: a class of economic goods
especially : an item of merchandise (as soybeans) whose price is the basis of futures trading

More from Merriam-Webster on commodity

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