commercial

American  

[kuh-mur-shuhl] / kəˈmɜr ʃəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of commerce.

2. engaged in commerce.

3. 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.

4. able to yield or make a profit.

   We decided that the small oil well was not commercial.

5. suitable or fit for a wide, popular market.

   Communications satellites are gradually finding a commercial use.

6. suitable for or catering to business rather than private use.

   commercial kitchen design; commercial refrigeration.

7. (of a vehicle or its use)

   1. engaged in transporting passengers or goods for profit.

   2. civilian and public, as distinguished from military or private.

8. not entirely or chemically pure.

   commercial soda.

9. catering especially to traveling salespeople by offering reduced rates, space for exhibiting products, etc..

   a commercial hotel.

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

11. paid for by advertisers.

    commercial television.

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noun

• commercials
  plural

1. Radio and Television. a paid advertisement or promotional announcement.

2. (in U.S. government grading of beef )

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

   2. a cut of beef of this grade.

3. British Informal. a traveling salesperson.

commercial British  

/ kəˈmɜːʃəl /

adjective

1. of, connected with, or engaged in commerce; mercantile

2. sponsored or paid for by an advertiser

   commercial television

3. having profit as the main aim

   commercial music

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

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noun

1. a commercially sponsored advertisement on radio or television

Synonym Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• anticommercialness
  noun
• commerciality
  noun
• anticommercial
  adjective
• countercommercial
  adjective
• noncommercial
  adjective
• precommercial
  adjective
• procommercial
  adjective
• quasi-commercial
  adjective
• semicommercial
  adjective
• supercommercial
  adjective
• ultracommercial
  adjective
• anticommercially
  adverb
• commercially
  adverb
• noncommercially
  adverb
• quasi-commercially
  adverb
• semicommercially
  adverb
• supercommercially
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• commercials
  plural

Etymology

Origin of commercial

First recorded in 1680–90; commerce + -ial

Explanation

Commercial is an adjective describing something with money-making and marketing intentions. If you’re a bit of a book snob, steer clear of commercial fiction, which is written for the widest enjoyment. The adjective commercial first appeared in the 1680’s, long before television commercials, which is probably what you think of when you hear the word. An al was added to commerce, and it meant "pertaining to trade." It wasn’t until the 1870's that commercial meant “done for the sake of financial profit,” and then later in the 1930's, the noun form was refined to describe “an advertisement broadcast on radio or TV.”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commercial commercials

A fragile ceasefire collapsed in July after attacks on commercial ships in the strategic waterway.

From Barron's ● Sep. 5, 2026

They soon moved to local churches and wedding halls, which had commercial kitchens available during the week.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026

The commercial included a reference to Paxton’s recently disclosed net worth.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

Tesla notified the agency that it had self-certified all the vehicles as compliant with federal safety standards and plans to gradually expand commercial deployment.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

It would mean that the land would go right back to the way it was: commercial licenses and logging to private companies.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone

It made khakis cool with its television commercials that showed models dancing in them to swing music.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026

“It’s a very ‘Whoa, what is happening?’ moment because I remember being 6 years old and coming to L.A. to see if I could get some commercials.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

"It went from there and progressed into 50 commercials by the time I was five... It just never stopped," she recalled.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

Born Aug. 21, 1989, in Palisades, New York, Panettiere began appearing in commercials before her first birthday.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

They reminded Ifemelu of television commercials, of people whose lives were lived always in flattering light, whose messes were still aesthetically pleasing.

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Related Words

• economic
• financial
• monetary
• profit-making
• profitable
• wholesale