merchandise

American  

[mur-chuhn-dahyz, -dahys, mur-chuhn-dahyz] / ˈmɜr tʃənˌdaɪz, -ˌdaɪs, ˈmɜr tʃənˌdaɪz /

Sometimes merchandize

noun

1. the manufactured goods bought and sold in any business.

2. the stock of goods in a store.

3. goods, especially manufactured goods; commodities.

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verb (used without object)

merchandised, merchandising

1. to carry on trade.

verb (used with object)

merchandised, merchandising

1. to buy and sell; deal in; trade.

2. 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.

merchandise British  

noun

1. commercial goods; commodities

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verb

1. to engage in the commercial purchase and sale of (goods or services); trade

Other Word Forms

• merchandisable adjective
• merchandiser noun
• unmerchandised adjective

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."

Example Sentences

The shirts, which cost $75 each, sold out in hours, said Eliano Younes, who runs Palantir’s corporate merchandise business.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

He was connected to other suspicious merchandise returns through credit card records.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 19, 2026

Dealers paid for the merchandise outright and sold it at prices set by the company.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

Her face appears on tourist shop merchandise and, as she puts it with typical precision, even on preset Redbubble cushion covers.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2026

George was really bringing in the money with the new merchandise.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Related Words

• commodity
• material
• product
• stock
• stuff