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 The act raised tariffs more generally across the board, and became notorious among economists for limiting world commerce and making the Great Depression worse. — ABC News, 22 Aug. 2026 Although Beijing describes such trade as ordinary commerce, conducting it through provincial and private firms helps ensure that any potential sanctions fall on intermediaries rather than the party-state itself. — Alvin Camba, Foreign Affairs, 21 Aug. 2026 For years, the companies at the center of commerce designed that journey as a sequence of discovery, checkout, authorization and service. — Lital Marom, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 Farmers blocked the highways leading into the city while demonstrators erected barricades throughout Cochabamba, occupied the central plaza, and halted transportation and commerce. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for commerce

Recent Examples of Synonyms for commerce

Noun

Costs for consumers in the Affordable Care Act marketplace have soared amid expiring ACA premium subsidies, and insurance affordability poses a political threat to Republicans during upcoming midterm elections.

— Sarah Agostino, CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
The company contends its plan serves the town, the residential marketplace and the interest of historic preservation.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of marketplace

Noun

The two ended up walking away laughing, and Luiz’s grin rode right into the next conversation, drill or interaction with anyone on the field.

— Daniel Sperry, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
The use of smartphones, self-service kiosks, and noise-canceling headphones reduces human interaction.

— Christopher Elliott, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of interaction

Noun

Canada could restrict key exports to the US, such as energy and a key fertilizer ingredient known as potash, said Diamond Isinger, a policy strategist and former special advisor on Canada-US relations to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

— Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
Cook’s legacy has been defined by his deft leadership through tumultuous supply chain environments and tense international trade relations.

— Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of relations

Noun

Between April and July, Russian exports to India rose nearly 60% from last year, according to India's latest trade data.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026
The partnership between two outsiders clawing their way in, joined by an equally canny journalist played by Claire Foy, comes to shape Fleet Street, the London thoroughfare where scribblers plied their trade, in Lamb’s and Murdoch’s images.

— Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of trade

Noun

Israel has seen its own relations with Turkey deteriorate during Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule.

— Sam Mednick, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
The expansion of the Pell grants to short-term programs has been a decade in the making, said Jim Hermes, associate vice president of government relations at the American Association of Community Colleges.

— ABC News, ABC News, 31 Aug. 2026

Definition of relation

Noun

The famed Big 5 (elephants, buffalos, leopards, rhinos, and lions) are all easily spotted in these lands, but the diverse habitats provide opportunities for different behavioral sightings, from feeding to bathing and mating.

— Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
For the past eight years, that's when Jackie and Shadow have begun reinforcing their nest and mating.

— Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of mating

Noun

The other woman found a Mint Hill police officer directing traffic in the 10300 block of Idlewild Road and reported the incident.

— Jeff A. Chamer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Aug. 2026
The data centre question Testing will take place during evenings and nights in the winters of 2026-27 and 2027-28, when the volume of air traffic is lower.

— Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of traffic

Noun

When government applies the rules consistently, businesses have the confidence to invest, innovation is encouraged, public institutions earn greater trust and the public benefits.

— Robin Rossenfeld, Denver Post, 28 Aug. 2026
The brothers’ defense lawyers countered that the UK allegations are years old, have not resulted in convictions, and their claims to be wealthy were exaggerated to promote online businesses and to generate attention.

— Jonny Hallam, CNN Money, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of business

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commerce

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Style

“Commerce.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commerce. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of commerce

noun

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