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

Other Word Forms

• commercially adverb
• anticommercial adjective
• anticommercially adverb
• anticommercialness noun
• countercommercial adjective
• noncommercial adjective
• noncommercially adverb
• precommercial adjective
• procommercial adjective
• quasi-commercial adjective
• quasi-commercially adverb
• semicommercial adjective
• semicommercially adverb
• supercommercial adjective
• supercommercially adverb
• ultracommercial adjective
• commerciality noun

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

The department also advises travellers to contact their airline to check whether commercial options are available.

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The commercial used a series of clips from former President Reagan's 1987 national radio address, in which he argued that tariffs would hurt America's economy.

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Economic nationalism: This leads to a preference for tariffs and autarky in manufacturing, both as a symbol of strength and to isolate the country from foreign commercial and cultural influence.

Read more on Salon

Dizzee Rascal, who once defined the sound of grime with his Mercury Prize-winning debut Boy in da Corner, now made more commercial rap, with songs like Bonkers and Dance Wiv Me.

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The U.S. suspended changes to its “affiliates rule” that sharply expanded the number of Chinese companies on a commercial blacklist.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• economic 
• financial 
• monetary 
• profit-making www.thesaurus.com
• profitable 
• wholesale