What does "commodity" mean?
Anything movable (a good) that is bought and sold.
Commodity
/kəˈmɑdəti/ noun
noun ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Anything movable (a good) that is bought and sold.
- Grammar: commodity is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: article, asset, cowhides, drug.
- Useful contrasts: luxury.
- Usage evidence: The 12 countries of the European Community are working out a compromise on agricultural commodity prices.
How to use "commodity"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "commodity" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "commodity" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "commodity" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "commodity" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "commodity" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "article" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "commodity", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Anything movable (a good) that is bought and sold. countable, uncountable
"It is with the help of the commodity concept that the mechanism of the market is geared to the various elements of industrial life. Commodities are here empirically defined as objects produced for sale on the market; […]. But labor, land, and money are obviously not commodities; the postulate that anything that is bought and sold must have been produced for sale is emphatically untrue in regard to them."
- 2 a raw material that is sold in large quantities, usually to other businesses for manufacturing or production purposes wordnet
- 3 Something useful or valuable. countable, uncountable
"And Slade said: "It really makes me sad that football club chairmen and boards seem to have lost that most precious commodity - patience. "Sam's sacking at Newcastle had, I suppose, been on the cards for a while, but it is really ridiculous to fire a manager after such a short time."
- 4 Raw materials, agricultural and other primary products as objects of large-scale trading in specialized exchanges. countable, uncountable
"The price of crude oil is determined in continuous trading between professional players in World's many commodities exchanges."
- 5 Undifferentiated goods characterized by a low profit margin and (usually) fungibility, as distinguished from branded products not wholly fungible. countable, uncountable
"Although they were once in the forefront of consumer electronics, the calculators have become a mere commodity."
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Anything which has both a use value and an exchange value. Marxism, countable, uncountable
- 7 Convenience; usefulness, suitability. countable, obsolete, uncountable
- 8 Self-interest; personal convenience or advantage. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Shall we employ the intelligence Heaven hath bestowed upon us for our greatest good, to our ruine? repugning natures desseign and the universal order and vicissitude of things, which implieth that every man should use his instruments and meanes for his owne commoditie?"
Antonyms
Example
"The 12 countries of the European Community are working out a compromise on agricultural commodity prices."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "commodity"?
Common synonyms include: article, asset, cowhides, drug, export, farm input.
How do you use "commodity" in a sentence?
The 12 countries of the European Community are working out a compromise on agricultural commodity prices.
How do you pronounce "commodity"?
Pronounced /kəˈmɑdəti/.
Etymology
From Middle English commoditee, from Anglo-Norman commoditee, from Latin commoditās.