commodity

noun

com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmä-də-tē 

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

Synonyms of commodity

• object
• entity
• substance
• reality

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

The mid-19th century had seen a massive increase in the use of nitrogen-rich guano in fertilizer and gunpowder, and the demand for this commodity would fuel a wave of American expansion throughout the Pacific. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026

As this year's higher crude oil prices made drilling more lucrative, the associated volumes of gas coming to market have also risen, regardless of the commodity's price or demand. — Harvey Stober, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

His first two terms saw a global commodities boom that helped fuel growth, wages and employment in Brazil. — Alessandra Freitas, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2026

Since then, a growing movement across North America is attempting to transform ecological menaces into culinary commodities, from Florida to Hawai’i, British Columbia, Maine, and the Mississippi River basin. — Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing commodity

• hot commodity

Rhymes for commodity

• oddity

Kids Definition

commodity

noun

com·​mod·​i·​ty kə-ˈmäd-ət-ē 

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 

plural commodities

: a class of economic goods

especially : an item of merchandise (as soybeans) whose price is the basis of futures trading