multi-level marketing

American  

[muhl-ti-lev-uhl mahr-kit-ing] / ˈmʌl tɪˌlɛv əl ˈmɑr kɪt ɪŋ /

noun

1. a way of structuring a sales business in which each participant profits from their own sales, from the sales of participants they have recruited, from the sales of the participants those people have recruited, and so on, often requiring continued recruitment to sustain profits; compare pyramid scheme.

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• multi-level marketer
  noun

Example Sentences

The most surprising thing right away was that, once you really look at the primary source material on multi-level marketing, which at the time was called pyramid selling, they really didn't hide how it worked.

From Salon • May 21, 2025

Her work prior to being elected to the Legislature in 2017 was as a consultant who sold women’s clothing through a multi-level marketing company.

From Washington Times • Aug. 18, 2023

Since she’d already sworn off multi-level marketing after a bad experience, you can express wanting to protect her from another blowout.

From Slate • Jan. 30, 2023

The Federal Trade Commission issued a letter to the multi-level marketing company that produces the supplement in 2020, warning bout the false claims made by those selling Juice Plus, among them Soldano.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 7, 2022

Typically, it is a some kind of multi-level marketing operation which involves recruiting more members, or an illegal pyramid scam.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.