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 Agentic commerce—the idea of using AI agents to search for products, make purchases, and handle payments for users—has gained momentum over the past year as more companies build the tools to support it. — Camila Grigera Naón, Fortune, 30 Sep. 2026 Ethiopia depends on Djibouti for the overwhelming majority of its maritime commerce, including fuel imports. — Alemayehu Fentaw Weldemariam, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026 The Chinese commerce ministry said the two countries agreed to further cooperate in the agricultural sector, forming a group under the Board of Trade established in May to optimize bilateral trade. — ABC News, 28 Sep. 2026 Coaches engage in interstate commerce in numerous ways, including coaching teams that play games in different states, coaching games that are broadcast to different states and by recruiting athletes in different states. — Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commerce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for commerce

Noun

Ticketmaster, which was included in the partnerships already announced, directs users to its own marketplace for payment.

— Caleigh Keating, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2026
Nike told Vogue Business that Hill, who became CEO in 2024, has cleaned up unhealthy inventory, reset the marketplace, and created more space for a new series of Nike performance products and innovation.

— Joe Bobowicz, Vogue, 2 Oct. 2026

Definition of marketplace

Noun

China-Japan relations have come under heavy strain since Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament in November last year that Japan could get militarily involved in the event of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

— Anniek Bao,Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 5 Oct. 2026
Questions remain over how a citizen of Oman, a country which does not have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, was authorized to co-pilot a plane bound for Tel Aviv, despite Israel’s strict security regulations.

— Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 4 Oct. 2026

Definition of relations

Noun

However, in the 7th century, this all vanished; the temples were abandoned and later looted, and Kea never again revived its trade or harbor settlements.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Over the past year alone, it has been buffeted by phenomena such as geopolitical uncertainty — especially in the Middle East — trade tensions, exchange-rate volatility, consumer confidence pressure, and disruption across travel and supply chains.

— Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of trade

Noun

Males perform complex mating flights in the late summer months and into fall (August through October) which often involve intercepting prospective partners mid-air.

— Sean Donnelly, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2026
They’re commonly found mating, attached end-to-end while resting or even flying.

— Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of mating

Noun

The steady hum of activity hits a particularly resonant pitch on the Second Sunday of each month when the street closes to vehicular traffic and becomes a European-style pedestrian mall with outdoor eateries and prancing pets on leash.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Around 12% of the world’s trade, including a fourth of global container traffic, passes through the narrows, moving between Europe and Asia via Egypt’s Suez Canal.

— ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of traffic

Noun

Vanderbilt is building a graduate campus in West Palm Beach focused on business, AI, and data science, with $50 million from developer Stephen Ross leading the fundraising.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2026
Much of those losses were uninsured, leaving the losses to be absorbed by governments, businesses, or households.

— Justin Worland, Time, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of business

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comments

commerce

commerces

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Commerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commerce. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of commerce

noun

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