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

Between 2017 and last year, China’s imports of Iranian oil are estimated to have more than doubled to roughly 1.4 million barrels a day, according to Kpler, a commodity research firm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

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

From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026

And what the team calls “large-scale, near-term compute” is such a scarce commodity that it’s priced at a significant premium, something like $50 billion per GW per annum.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 10, 2026

Zambia became Africa's first sovereign default of the Covid era in 2020 after years of heavy borrowing and a collapse in commodity revenues.

From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026

The ice, a commodity unavailable at the motel, is for iced tea, which I brew by letting tea bags soak in a plastic cup of water overnight.

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

Still, the energy index overall was 1.5 percent lower than a month ago, indicating a downward trajectory for prices of those commodities as talks to end the war continue.

From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026

Bitcoin and other digital tokens that aren’t controlled by a person or company would generally be regulated as commodities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

First, he compared gold to. the long-term inflation-adjusted growth rate of other major commodities — copper, oil, and unusually, bread.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

Now imagine you’re a stock or commodities trader who relies on high-speed deals to make a living.

From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026

Anyone who knows otherwise should be in the commodities market. general consensus.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner

Related Words

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