e-commerce

American  

[ee-kom-ers] / ˈiˌkɒm ərs /

Or ecommerce

noun

1. business that is transacted by transferring data electronically, especially over the internet.

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e-commerce British  

/ ˈiːˌkɒmɜːs /

noun

1. business transactions conducted on the internet

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Etymology

Origin of e-commerce

First recorded in 1990–95; e- ² + commerce

Example Sentences

Strict e-commerce tax collection will likely further reduce the spending power of Pinduoduo’s large base of smaller merchants, she adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026

This announcement comes as many e-commerce companies are shifting their business models to AI to reduce costs by automating many roles.

From Los Angeles Times • May 29, 2026

The latest example came on Thursday when the EU kickstarted a probe into Chinese e-commerce giant JD.com's bid for major German electronics retail group Ceconomy on suspicion it was boosted by state subsidies.

From Barron's • May 29, 2026

The dominance of e-commerce means shoppers from college students to retirees are used to buying marked-down clothing in just a few taps from the comfort of their sofas.

From Barron's • May 27, 2026

All of these interoperable banking and e-commerce functions flattened the Internet marketplace so radically that even eBay was taken by surprise.

From "The World Is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman

Related Words

• browsing
• spending