commercialism

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /kəˈmɝʃəˌlɪzəm/ UK /kəˈmɜːʃəlɪzəm/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
emphasis on profit or marketing, often at the expense of other values

Critics lamented the creeping commercialism of the holiday.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · emphasis on profit or... consumerismmercantilismprofiteering materialism

Opposites

idealism altruism

Word family

Derived forms commercialistic

Related forms commerce commercial commercialize

Etymology

From commercial + -ism, from Latin commercium ('trade, commerce'), from com- ('together') + merx ('merchandise, wares').

commercium Latin merx Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# commercialism

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kəˈmɝʃəˌlɪzəm/
**IPA (UK):** /kəˈmɜːʃəlɪzəm/

## Meanings
1. emphasis on profit or marketing, often at the expense of other values

## Examples
- Critics lamented the creeping commercialism of the holiday.

## Synonyms
- consumerism
- mercantilism
- profiteering
- materialism

## Antonyms
- idealism
- altruism

## Derived Forms
- commercialistic

## Related Forms
- commerce
- commercial
- commercialize

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: commercium
- Root: merx

## Etymology
From commercial + -ism, from Latin commercium ('trade, commerce'), from com- ('together') + merx ('merchandise, wares').

## AI Etymology
Commercialism comes from commercial + -ism, from Latin commercium ('trade, commerce'), from com- ('together') + merx ('merchandise, wares'). The historical trail runs through commercium in Latin and merx in Latin. Morphologically, commercialism is transparent: it draws on commercial + -ism, from Latin commercium ('trade, commerce'), from com- ('together') + merx ('merchandise, wares'). Used as a noun, commercialism now means "emphasis on profit or marketing, often at the expense of other values", so the present definition can be read against the older forms and meanings. The same lexical family is also visible in derived forms such as commercialistic and related forms such as commerce, commercial, and commercialize. The result is a borrowed or transmitted form whose modern spelling carries a compact record of its route into English.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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