Thesaurus results for COMMERCE

Q: How is the word 'commerce' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of commerce are business , industry , trade , and traffic . While all these words mean "activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities," commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

Q: When might 'business' be a better fit than 'commerce'?

The meanings of business and commerce largely overlap; however, business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

Q: Where would 'industry' be a reasonable alternative to 'commerce'?

The words industry and commerce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

Q: When would 'traffic' be a good substitute for 'commerce'?

The synonyms traffic and commerce are sometimes interchangeable, but traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

commerce

noun

ˈkä-(ˌ)mərs

Definition of commerce

as in marketplace

the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places a government agency in charge of regulating interstate commerce

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in interaction

doings between individuals or groups when I was doing outside consulting for the company, I never had much commerce with the in-house staff

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in sex

sexual union involving penetration of the vagina by the penis rumors of commerce between the lady and the knight spread throughout the court

Synonyms & Similar Words

Synonym Chooser

How is the word commerce distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of commerce are business, industry, trade, and traffic. While all these words mean "activity concerned with the supplying and distribution of commodities," commerce and trade imply the exchange and transportation of commodities.

When might business be a better fit than commerce?

The meanings of business and commerce largely overlap; however, business may be an inclusive term but specifically designates the activities of those engaged in the purchase or sale of commodities or in related financial transactions.

Where would industry be a reasonable alternative to commerce?

The words industry and commerce are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, industry applies to the producing of commodities, especially by manufacturing or processing, usually on a large scale.

When would traffic be a good substitute for commerce?

The synonyms traffic and commerce are sometimes interchangeable, but traffic applies to the operation and functioning of public carriers of goods and persons.

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of commerce Many fintech companies that are now crucial to African commerce and trade were seeded by venture capital within the last decade. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 5 Aug. 2026 Bowley pointed to a related BofA finding that Gen Z is also driving a fast-growing share of new business formation, often via social commerce and resale platforms, a channel earlier generations couldn’t tap at the same age. — Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026 So the commerce secretary, Howard Lutnick, who's heavily involved in these tungsten deals - his sons are profiting too. — Terry Gross, NPR, 5 Aug. 2026 The backstory The hotel was founded in 1874 by the French chef Régis Cadier (whose name graces the swanky lobby bar) to give Stockholm a grand, continental-style hotel to rival other European centers of commerce and culture. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commerce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for commerce

Noun

Fortunately for us, the ability to adapt to changing circumstances remains America’s greatest advantage in the global marketplace.

— Ted Leonsis, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2026
His main priority will then be to avoid any injury that might compromise his value in the marketplace.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of marketplace

Noun

If several hours of television or scrolling through social media are taking the place of exercise, in-person social interactions, reading or other mentally stimulating activities, that’s not ideal for brain health.

— Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
The third iteration, released in 2024, expanded its prediction abilities to interactions among proteins and other molecules, including DNA, RNA and potential drugs.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of interaction

Noun

Postwar intellectuals used psychoanalytic ideas in a variety of ways, including to discuss race relations and homosexuality.

— Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 4 Aug. 2026
Rather, the pivotal transactions, graphed like the peaks and valleys of a volatile stock index, are the relations between men and women.

— Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of relations

Noun

The uneven outing came hours after manager Aaron Boone said the Yankees (64-51) — who did not acquire a reliever before Monday’s MLB trade deadline — could soon bolster their bullpen by moving at least one starter into a relief role.

— Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
After the first-place Braves failed to pick up a top-line starting pitcher ahead of the trade deadline, Elder and Grant Holmes made strong cases for the rotation Atlanta already has.

— CBS News, CBS News, 6 Aug. 2026

Definition of trade

Noun

In March 2023, for instance, Honduras broke off formal relations with Taiwan and established ties with Beijing.

— Natalia Cote-Muñoz, Foreign Affairs, 3 Aug. 2026
From nomadic migrations to geek culture, many of the works seek to record and archive changing relations to place and community, not only in Doha but across the Gulf region.

— Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of relation

Noun

Ship traffic is unlikely to return to pre-war levels, of around 130 to 140 crossings a day, according to analysts, which could keep oil prices elevated for longer.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
The Houthis say closing Bab el-Mandeb to Saudi traffic aims to break the coalition’s blockade.

— Fatma Khaled, Chicago Tribune, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of traffic

Noun

First, there was Green Porno, her series of shorts that launched in 2008 on the Sundance Channel and explored some of the more bizarre mating behaviors in nature.

— Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2026
The team recently investigated the mating habits of another species, Leiobunum limbatum, which showed quite a different routine.

— Christa Lesté-Lasserre, Scientific American, 3 Aug. 2026

Definition of mating

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comments

commerce

commerces

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Style

“Commerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commerce. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of commerce

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