commercial

[ kuh-mur-shuhl ]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of commerce.
2. engaged in commerce.
3. prepared, done, or acting with sole or chief emphasis on salability, profit, or success:

   a commercial product; His attitude toward the theater is very commercial.

4. able to yield or make a profit:

   We decided that the small oil well was not commercial.

5. suitable or fit for a wide, popular market:

   Communications satellites are gradually finding a commercial use.

6. suitable for or catering to business rather than private use:

   commercial kitchen design; commercial refrigeration.

7. (of a vehicle or its use)
   1. engaged in transporting passengers or goods for profit.
   2. civilian and public, as distinguished from military or private.
8. not entirely or chemically pure:

   commercial soda.

9. catering especially to traveling salespeople by offering reduced rates, space for exhibiting products, etc.:

   a commercial hotel.

10. (in U.S. government grading of beef ) graded between standard and utility.
11. paid for by advertisers:

    commercial television.

noun

1. Radio and Television. a paid advertisement or promotional announcement.
2. (in U.S. government grading of beef )
   1. a low-quality grade of beef between standard and utility.
   2. a cut of beef of this grade.
3. British Informal. a traveling salesperson.

commercial

/ kəˈmɜːʃəl; kəˌmɜːʃɪˈælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. of, connected with, or engaged in commerce; mercantile
2. sponsored or paid for by an advertiser

   commercial television

3. having profit as the main aim

   commercial music

4. (of goods, chemicals, etc) of unrefined quality or presentation and produced in bulk for use in industry

noun

1. a commercially sponsored advertisement on radio or television

Derived Forms

• commerciality, noun
• comˈmercially, adverb

Other Words From

• com·mercial·ly adverb
• anti·com·mercial adjective
• anti·com·mercial·ly adverb
• anti·com·mercial·ness noun
• counter·com·mercial adjective
• noncom·mercial adjective noun
• noncom·mercial·ly adverb
• precom·mercial adjective
• procom·mercial adjective
• quasi-com·mercial adjective
• quasi-com·mercial·ly adverb
• semi·com·mercial adjective
• semi·com·mercial·ly adverb
• super·com·mercial adjective
• super·com·mercial·ly adverb
• ultra·com·mercial adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of commercial¹

First recorded in 1680–90; commerce + -ial

Synonym Study

Commercial, mercantile refer to the activities of business, industry, and trade. Commercial is the broader term, covering all the activities and relationships of industry and trade. In a derogatory sense it may mean such a preoccupation with the affairs of commerce as results in indifference to considerations other than wealth: commercial treaties; a merely commercial viewpoint. Mercantile applies to the purchase and sale of goods, or to the transactions of business: a mercantile house or class.

Example Sentences

It featured a dad softly criticizing his son and daughter-in-law for using bottled sauce instead of making their own from scratch, because in his opinion there was no way anything commercial could compare to homemade.

From Salon

Shawn Levy: “We’re going to put pegging in the first Super Bowl commercial.”

From Los Angeles Times

She will also say that the chancellor should look at updating business rates for commercial property, as well as simplifying the planning system.

From BBC

She estimates it will cost around $2m to display initial commercial activity and $7.5m to reach the point where the company is able to sell gas to 300 taxis in Barbados.

From BBC

Xia owns three other businesses advertised as massage and wellness centers, which the sheriff’s department said were also operating as commercial sex establishments.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• economic
• financial
• monetary
• profit-making
• profitable
• wholesale