commodification

American  

[kuh-mod-uh-fi-key-shuhn] / kəˌmɒd ə fɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or fact of turning something into an item that can be bought and sold.

   The commodification of water means that access is available only to those who can pay.

2. the act or fact of exploiting a person or thing for profit.

   Some of the tourism to developing countries risks becoming a commodification of culture and poverty.

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Etymology

Origin of commodification

commod(ity) ( def. ) + -i- ( def. ) + -fication ( def. )

Example Sentences

The commodification of human newborns is striking in comparison.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 19, 2025

So this kind of logic of capture, enclosure and commodification is the rationale that binds together all of the world-building of “Sleep Dealer.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2025

Riberio-Addy told the BBC that the "commodification of human remains perpetuates a dark legacy of colonialism, exploitation and dehumanisation".

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2024

But that was the inevitable result of where we have been heading for decades now because of this kind of commodification of the idea of speech.

From Slate • Nov. 18, 2024

Again, though, it is useful to put the commodification of gangsta culture in proper perspective.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander