commercialization

American  

[kuh-mur-shuhl-uh-zey-shuhn] / kəˌmɜr ʃəl əˈzeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the condition of being focused on the profitable aspects of something, especially to excess.

   Many families have grown tired of the commercialization of Christmas.

   Increased commercialization—and the tendency to view audiences as consumers rather than citizens—has contributed to the decline in public-service broadcasting.

2. the act or process of making something available for sale or viable as a profitable commodity.

   The fuel cell is currently expensive to produce, but commercialization will reduce the costs.

   Successful commercialization of this oilseed will depend on a combination of farmer and market readiness that may be difficult to achieve.

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Etymology

Origin of commercialization

First recorded in 1885–90; commercial ( def. ) + -ization ( def. )

Explanation

Commercialization happens when something turns into a money-making business. It can be a good thing, but it’s often used in the negative, like when the commercialization of a holiday means you just have to buy stuff. Commercialization is sometimes negative because it has a sense of valuing profits over anything else. It can also be positive, like the commercialization of a life-saving drug when it leaves the lab and hits the market. Commercialization refers to the whole process of the business of selling something. The words commercial, commercialize, and commercialization all relate to commerce, which is the exchange of goods and services.

Example Sentences

America’s new social obsession, mahjong’s become younger, cooler, trendier, and bigger postpandemic—though not without debate over commercialization and cultural appropriation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

"With further development and commercialization, this type of multidimensional holographic data storage could enable smaller data centers and more efficient large-scale archival storage, while also enhancing data processing and transmission efficiency," said Tan.

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

With Chinese interests reportedly claiming 44% of patents relating to the SSBs, the pace of global commercialization may be set by China and its trading partners.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

“As we see numerous companies reach commercialization of fully autonomous solutions … we expect humans to remain in the loop in several ways,” Rusch added.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 12, 2026

According to Andrews and a dissenting California Supreme Court judge, the ruling didn’t prevent commercialization; it just took patients out of the equation and emboldened scientists to commodify tissues in increasing numbers.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot