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.
Thill flagged barriers to adoption of agentic commerce, or the idea that bots could make purchases on behalf of users.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 20, 2026
Technology and commerce have obviously changed considerably since Congress passed the Video Privacy Protection Act.
From Slate ● Oct. 17, 2026
This includes business and commerce, the arts, education, medicine, and more.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Shopify rises after Deutsche Banks says the company is poised to win big from agentic commerce in the long run.
From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026
Where, with the rush of commerce, despair came home to roost and hardened slowly into resignation.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
“It’s not only for employees going back and forth through the port complex,” Elise Swanson, president of the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview last year.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
Neither the Commerce Department nor the White House responded to requests for comment.
From Salon ● Oct. 16, 2026
One attendee at the Chamber of Commerce lunch on Thursday, Mary O'Keeffe, said high value residents "were extremely important" to the island.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
In life’s grand pursuit of perfect bites, the whole chicken at Cafe Commerce in New York City makes a strong bid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
When the Chamber of Commerce improved its gardens, the merchants each gave five dollars but Dora was asked for and gave a hundred.
From "Cannery Row" by John Steinbeck
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
