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.
social relations, especially the exchange of views, attitudes, etc.
sexual intercourse.
intellectual or spiritual interchange; communion.
Also called Commerce Department. (initial capital letter) the Department of Commerce.
the activity embracing all forms of the purchase and sale of goods and services
social relations and exchange, esp of opinions, attitudes, etc
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.
See trade.
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
Commerce is the exchange of goods and services. It's business. Competition between cities wanting to host the Olympics is fierce because the games increase tourism and commerce. Commerce made its way into English from the Latin word commercium — com-, meaning "together," and -mercium, meaning "merchandise." Business, trade, and retailing are all common synonyms. Commerce doesn't always refer to buying and selling, though, just as the marketplace doesn't always refer to goods and services. Data, information, and opinions, too, can be exchanged and traded, as on the Internet, which is a great place for the commerce of ideas.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Picking up the pace is a worthy goal, he said, but that would mean beefing up the workforce, disrupting traffic and commerce with more street closures, and asking customers to write bigger checks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 25, 2026
The company said the deal represents the next step in a strategy to expand beyond grocery shelves and into immersive experiences and experiential commerce.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
But the latest tariffs on Canada draw on a different presidential power, which permits “new or additional duties” on any country that “discriminates in fact against the commerce of the United States.”
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
Looking back on the process by which China since 2005 began to dominate global commerce, Tchir wonders if China is approaching the same moment in AI as it was then with industrial and consumer goods?
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Sometimes, watching the customers file in, the sales ring up, she began to see commerce as part of the stream of life.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
The list includes a $37 million property of which Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is the trustee.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Billionaire Matthew Maroun, who is also a Trump donor, met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hours before the president's comments, according to a New York Times report.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
The Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security is formally investigating Chinese firms like Moonshot over their use of these chips, a spokesperson told The Information.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
The U.S. has held off on blacklisting CXMT, according to Reuters, though the company has been designated as a national-security risk and approved for the Commerce Department’s Entity List.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Commerce is lined with skyscrapers covered in navy blue mirrors, making me look crazy tall.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
