commodity

American  

[kuh-mod-i-tee] / kəˈmɒd ɪ ti /

noun

• commodities
  plural

1. an article of trade or commerce, especially a product as distinguished from a service.

2. something of use, advantage, or value.

3. Stock Exchange. any unprocessed or partially processed good, as grain, fruits, and vegetables, or precious metals.

4. Obsolete. a quantity of goods.

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commodity British  

/ kəˈmɒdɪtɪ /

noun

1. an article of commerce

2. something of use, advantage, or profit

3. economics an exchangeable unit of economic wealth, esp a primary product or raw material

4. obsolete

   1. a quantity of goods

   2. convenience or expediency

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commodity Cultural  

1. Any product manufactured or grown.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• noncommodity
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• commodities
  plural

Etymology

Origin of commodity

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English commodite, from Anglo-French, from Latin commoditās “timeliness, convenience,” equivalent to commod(us) ( see commode) + -itās -ity

Explanation

A commodity is any useful or valuable thing, especially something that is bought and sold. Grain, coffee, and precious metals are all commodities. The word commodity is usually used in an economic context, as in importing commodities from other countries or trading in the stocks and commodities markets. You probably wouldn't say something like "I'm going to run to the corner store to pick up some commodities." This word can also be used figuratively to refer to anything valuable, like trust or patience. Some people think that honesty is a rare commodity in politics.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

commodity commodities

But Noah Weisberger, chief strategist at BCA Research, believes the neoclouds may “destroy capital” as they invest borrowed cash to grow what will turn out to be a low-margin commodity service.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

According to Clecat, "whether higher logistics costs translate materially into consumer prices depends on the duration of the disruption, the commodity and companies' ability to absorb or pass on costs".

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

But sinking much more money than planned into major oil and gas projects is hard to justify unless there’s a strong case that commodity prices can stay higher for longer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

They're all dealing with a notoriously unpredictable market and with fluctuating commodity and energy prices.

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

“The Spencers went willingly once they heard my offer. Safety is a precious commodity in these turbulent times.”

From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland

While bitcoin climbed alongside gold and other commodities, the U.S. dollar weakened.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026

Revenue and other income climbed 18% to HK$8.50 billion, driven by higher trading and clearing fees on rising volumes across the cash, derivatives and commodities markets.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

Michigan State’s Yeargain, writing in the Missouri Law Review in 2020 about fake polls affecting prediction markets, argued that publishing fake polls to influence betting markets was either commodities fraud or wire fraud, or both.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

Likewise shorting commodities here would run counter to current consensus.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026

Seeking out common ancestors for similar types of instruments is in many cases complicated by the abundant exchange of commodities via trading routes that ran between Europe, North Africa and Asia.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• asset
• goods
• material
• produce
• product
• property
• stock