commerce

¹ American  

[kom-ers] / ˈkɒm ərs /

noun

1. an interchange of goods or commodities, especially on a large scale between different countries foreign commerce or between different parts of the same country domestic commerce; trade; business.

2. social relations, especially the exchange of views, attitudes, etc.

3. sexual intercourse.

4. intellectual or spiritual interchange; communion.

5. Also called Commerce Department.  (initial capital letter)  the Department of Commerce.

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Commerce ² American  

[kom-ers] / ˈkɒm ərs /

noun

1. a town in SW California.

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commerce British  

/ ˈkɒmɜːs /

noun

1. the activity embracing all forms of the purchase and sale of goods and services

2. social relations and exchange, esp of opinions, attitudes, etc

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Usage

What does commerce mean? Commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and products, especially on a large scale, as in New York City is a major center of commerce where billions of dollars are exchanged every day. The word commerce is almost always used to refer to business, trade, and the movement of things that are being bought and sold. Commerce can refer to either the exchange of goods between countries (international or foreign commerce) or the exchange that occurs within one country (domestic commerce).Much less frequently, commerce is used to mean an exchanging of ideas or views as part of social interaction, as in The club promoted intellectual commerce among the students.Commerce is similar to the word trade and the two words can generally be used as synonyms. Trade describes a more general exchange of goods and money, while commerce describes large-scale trading, such as at an interstate or international level, which requires large numbers of trucks, planes, and other delivery methods.Example: After the war, the small country experienced an increase in commerce with neighboring countries because transporting products was safe again. 

Related Words

See trade.

Etymology

Origin of commerce

First recorded in 1530–40; from Middle French, from Latin commercium, from commerc(ārī) “to trade together” (from com- com- + mercārī “to buy, deal, trade,” verb derivative of merc-, stem of merx “commodity, goods, merchandise”) + -ium -ium

Example Sentences

For both countries, Sudan comes below issues such as Gaza and Syria, as well as finance and commerce.

From BBC

The continuous buying and selling of things is commerce, and commerce is, in “JR,” about the white noise of conversation.

From The Wall Street Journal

That led the company to expect continued operating losses in the fourth quarter for its core local commerce segment and business overall.

From The Wall Street Journal

Airports in the Midwest saw a decline in commerce as travel snarls kept travelers away.

From The Wall Street Journal

While Sioux City leaders had largely stayed mum, the local chamber of commerce was brokering a deal to drop the charges.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• business
• economics
• exchange
• industry
• marketing
• retailing
• trade
• traffic