merchandise
Americannoun
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the manufactured goods bought and sold in any business.
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the stock of goods in a store.
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goods, especially manufactured goods; commodities.
verb (used without object)
verb (used with object)
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to buy and sell; deal in; trade.
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to plan or manage the arrangement and promotion of (goods in a store).
When you merchandise your products, promote impulse purchases by grouping like items.
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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merchandisesimple
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merchandisessimple
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have merchandisedperfect
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has merchandisedperfect
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am merchandisingprogressive
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are merchandisingprogressive
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is merchandisingprogressive
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have been merchandisingperfect progressive
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has been merchandisingperfect progressive
Past
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merchandisedsimple
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had merchandisedperfect
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was merchandisingprogressive
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were merchandisingprogressive
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had been merchandisingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of merchandise
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English marchandise, from Old French; see merchant, -ice
Explanation
The noun merchandise refers to things that can be bought or sold, like the merchandise that's for sale at your local record shop, or the merchandise sold by sidewalk vendors in a big city. When you go into a store, you're surrounded by merchandise, whether it's food, clothing, or books. Goods that can be bought or sold are merchandise, and so are items connected with a particular movie or music group — like the t-shirts you can buy at a rock concert's merchandise booth. Merchandise is also a verb, meaning "to promote or advertise" — "Retail stores merchandise goods using displays, signs, or mannequins."
Vocabulary lists containing merchandise
Material World: Shopping Lingo
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"Principles of Business," Vocabulary from Chapter 10
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This Week In Words: November 21–27, 2020
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Its launch follows other leading AI firms selling their own branded merchandise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The DoJ said 11 people in the country has been arrested and convicted for the illegal manufacture and distribution of fake sporting merchandise.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
It was also a popular request at the merchandise table.
From Salon ● Jul. 14, 2026
On the merchandise side, more than 22 million “Moana”-themed toys have been sold.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
I surprised myself with the thought that Samir had once again wasted our merchandise.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
“When Salima merchandises a rack, she makes it feel like a full collection,” Mr. Cowan said.
From New York Times ● Mar. 9, 2022
“All Hail the Queen” reads the barrage of tweets, emails, taglines and signage on various merchandises including a t-shirt and a full deck of all Queen playing cards adorned with Stewart in royal regalia.
From Seattle Times ● Sep. 21, 2021
She merchandises products through social media; she sells accessories for brands.
From New York Times ● Jan. 14, 2020
This courageous and unique writer never retreats into metaphysics, never merchandises the jargon of protest.
From Time Magazine Archive
Traders and procurers from up and down the coast converged on Charleston, checking the merchandises eyes and joints and spines, wary of venereal distemper and other afflictions.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
He makes clear that the eventual titans of streetwear were scrappy entrepreneurs who merged graffiti, break dancing, hip-hop, punk rock and skateboarding, all gestures of rebellion they cleverly merchandised.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 3, 2026
Those characters have been part of America’s cultural heritage almost since their first appearance — the Blondie comic strip still runs daily in The Times, and Betty Boop’s image is widely and popularly merchandised.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 30, 2025
Putin became the first fully merchandised Russian leader: T-shirts, calendars, coffee mugs and imagery such as playing with dogs or riding bare-chested atop a horse through the Russian forest.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 28, 2023
“He’s the most merchandised figure in the world, and is the most recognized graphic figure in the history of the world,” Jilton said.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 17, 2019
In 1867 he moved to Union County and merchandised until 1884.
From History of Kershaw's Brigade by Dickert, D. Augustus
She went on to study fashion buying and merchandising at Manchester Metropolitan University and won a placement at the city's major international fashion brand Boohoo.
From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026
From ‘Springtime for Hitler’ to Yogurt’s merchandising pitch in ‘Spaceballs,’ here are the many sides of a filmmaker who reinvented on-screen comedy.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 29, 2026
Burlington stock hasn’t traditionally done as well as its peers’ shares, as the company has struggled to match them in terms of merchandising and execution.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
What was important was merchandising: toys, theme parks, soundtracks and franchises.
From Salon ● Jun. 6, 2026
I was already helping keep the books, and as for the rest—the ins and outs of hunting quality pieces, merchandising, and display—I’d learn all that from Ba and Mr. Lew.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
