commercial

[ kuh-mur-shuh l ]

/ kəˈmɜr ʃəl /

adjective

of, relating to, or characteristic of commerce.

engaged in commerce.

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.

able to yield or make a profit: We decided that the small oil well was not commercial.

suitable or fit for a wide, popular market: Communications satellites are gradually finding a commercial use.

suitable for or catering to business rather than private use: commercial kitchen design; commercial refrigeration.

(of a vehicle or its use)

engaged in transporting passengers or goods for profit.
civilian and public, as distinguished from military or private.

not entirely or chemically pure: commercial soda.

catering especially to traveling salespeople by offering reduced rates, space for exhibiting products, etc.: a commercial hotel.

(in U.S. government grading of beef) graded between standard and utility.

paid for by advertisers: commercial television.

noun

Radio and Television. a paid advertisement or promotional announcement.

(in U.S. government grading of beef)

a low-quality grade of beef between standard and utility.
a cut of beef of this grade.

British Informal. a traveling salesperson.

Nearby words

commentate, commentative, commentator, commerce, commerce city, commercial, commercial agency, commercial art, commercial attaché, commercial bank, commercial break

Origin of commercial

First recorded in 1680–90; commerce + -ial

Related forms

com·mer·cial·ly, adverban·ti·com·mer·cial, adjectivean·ti·com·mer·cial·ly, adverban·ti·com·mer·cial·ness, noun

coun·ter·com·mer·cial, adjectivenon·com·mer·cial, adjective, nounnon·com·mer·cial·ly, adverbpre·com·mer·cial, adjectivepro·com·mer·cial, adjectivequa·si-com·mer·cial, adjectivequa·si-com·mer·cial·ly, adverbsem·i·com·mer·cial, adjectivesem·i·com·mer·cial·ly, adverbsu·per·com·mer·cial, adjectivesu·per·com·mer·cial·ly, adverbul·tra·com·mer·cial, adjective

Synonym study

1. 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for commercially

Commercially, stocks, advertising, publishing, the early radio industry—all that stuff was still downtown.
When New York City Hit Its Stride|Allen Barra|July 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was, however, a colossal flop—critically and commercially—with Lynch later regretting sacrificing final cut.
Doomed Passion Projects of Hollywood: The Lost Classics of Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, and More|Marlow Stern|March 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Or, as Behr puts it, “No else is as commercially unrealistic as us.”
This Book Will Change the Way You Eat|Lucas Wittmann|December 19, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He may have been the least commercially successful singer in the lineup.
I Was Way Too Old for Z100’s Jingle Ball Concert. But I Couldn’t Have Had More Fun.|Kevin Fallon|December 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

A good example is their commentary on the lack of a commercially available male contraception pill.
The Masculine Mystique|R. Tod Kelly|October 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Commercially this was of first-rate importance, while politically it counterbalanced the alliance of the Bourbon courts.
The Political History of England - Vol. X.|William Hunt
But to return to the Queen City of Ireland,—its greatest place socially and commercially speaking.
The Cathedral Towns and Intervening Places of England, Ireland and Scotland:|Thomas W. Silloway
The unmanufactured tobacco pays a comparatively small duty, and the cigars made from it are commercially known as "Key West."
Commercial Geography|Jacques W. Redway
As a lumber tree, the walnut of Europe has long been commercially important.
Trees Worth Knowing|Julia Ellen Rogers
Soon after the sewing machine was commercially successful, special attachments for it were invented and manufactured.
The Invention of the Sewing Machine|Grace Rogers Cooper

British Dictionary definitions for commercially

commercial

/ (kəˈmɜːʃəl) /

adjective

of, connected with, or engaged in commerce; mercantile

sponsored or paid for by an advertisercommercial television

having profit as the main aimcommercial music

(of goods, chemicals, etc) of unrefined quality or presentation and produced in bulk for use in industry

noun

a commercially sponsored advertisement on radio or television

Derived Formscommerciality (kəˌmɜːʃɪˈælɪtɪ), nouncommercially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for commercially (1 of 2)

commercial

adj.

1680s, "pertaining to trade," from commerce + -al (1). Meaning "paid for by advertisements" (in reference to radio, TV, etc.) is from 1932; meaning "done for the sake of financial profit" (of art, etc.) is from 1871. Related: Commercially.

Word Origin and History for commercially (1 of 2)

commercial

"an advertisement broadcast on radio or TV," 1935, from commercial (adj.).

commercial

adjective

noun

RELATED CONTENT

Nearby words

Origin of commercial

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for commercially

British Dictionary definitions for commercially

commercial

adjective

noun

Word Origin and History for commercially (1 of 2)

commercial

Word Origin and History for commercially (1 of 2)

commercial