commercialism
Americannoun
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the principles, practices, and spirit of commerce.
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a commercial attitude in noncommercial affairs; inappropriate or excessive emphasis on profit, success, or immediate results.
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a commercial custom or expression.
noun
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the spirit, principles, or procedure of commerce
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exclusive or inappropriate emphasis on profit
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of commercialism
Explanation
Commercialism is an attitude or philosophy devoted to supplying goods and services and making profits. The root of commercialism is commerce, which is the buying and selling of things. It can help you remember what commercialism is if you remember that commercials try to sell you things. Commercialism puts profits above all, so sometimes people use this word in a negative sense. For example, people complain about commercialism at Christmas, saying the religious meaning gets drowned out by the message to buy.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Commercialism, though, has every right to run rampant at Sundance: Independent film festivals can’t happen without money.
From Washington Post • Jan. 29, 2023
Commercialism also leads to factions that are vulnerable to internal, weakening forces.
From Washington Times • May 24, 2022
Commercialism is the culprit, we hear, and at the centre of it that longstanding old buddy of the devil himself, money.
From The Guardian • Jan. 1, 2016
Commercialism has long been one of hip-hop’s prime ambitions.
From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2015
We see its evil effects on the State, but seem unable to shake off the grip of Commercialism which is responsible for it.
From Our National Defense: The Patriotism of Peace by Maxwell, George Hebard
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.
