commerce
1 of 2noun
com·merce ˈkä-(ˌ)mərs 
1
: social intercourse : interchange of ideas, opinions, or sentiments
… a negotiated peace that will reestablish intellectual commerce among them …
P. B. Rice
P. B. Rice2
: the exchange or buying and selling of commodities on a large scale involving transportation from place to place
a major center of commerce
interstate commerce
3
: sexual intercourse
commerce
2 of 2verb
com·merce ˈkä-(ˌ)mərs
kə-ˈmərs
commerced; commercing
intransitive verb
archaic
: commune
Synonyms
Noun
- business
- marketplace
- trade
- traffic
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun He was the Secretary of Commerce under the last President. a government agency in charge of regulating interstate commerce
Recent Examples on the Web James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2022 That’s because labor regulations anger chambers of commerce in every city and town in America. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 5 Sep. 2022 Under the plea agreement, three lesser charges of enticement, use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity and money laundering were dismissed. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 People who rarely made online orders in the past were forced to adapt during the pandemic, adding to the already rapid growth of e-commerce. Jia Wertz, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 According to Swati Gupta, Weleda’s head of e-commerce in North America, in 2020, the company sold a Skin Food product every five seconds. New York Times, 20 Aug. 2022 The vigor of real estate salespeople and the chambers of commerce were pitched at the middle classes. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 Everyone else, including Frank’s pets, has some sort of commerce with them, often including strange and beautifully inventive magical powers. Sam Thielman, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022 The Olmsted and Berea chambers of commerce are sponsoring a Sept. 2 golf outing at Mallard Creek Golf Course. cleveland, 8 Aug. 2022 See More
Noun
At a Wednesday event hosted by the Kenai and Soldotna chambers of commerce, 15 minutes by car from Pierce’s mayoral office, Democratic governor candidate Les Gara and independent candidate Bill Walker had the stage to themselves. James Brooks, Anchorage Daily News, 10 Sep. 2022 That’s because labor regulations anger chambers of commerce in every city and town in America. Timothy Noah, The New Republic, 5 Sep. 2022 Under the plea agreement, three lesser charges of enticement, use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity and money laundering were dismissed. Winston Cho, The Hollywood Reporter, 1 Sep. 2022 People who rarely made online orders in the past were forced to adapt during the pandemic, adding to the already rapid growth of e-commerce. Jia Wertz, Forbes, 25 Aug. 2022 According to Swati Gupta, Weleda’s head of e-commerce in North America, in 2020, the company sold a Skin Food product every five seconds. New York Times, 20 Aug. 2022 The vigor of real estate salespeople and the chambers of commerce were pitched at the middle classes. Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Aug. 2022 Everyone else, including Frank’s pets, has some sort of commerce with them, often including strange and beautifully inventive magical powers. Sam Thielman, The New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2022 The Olmsted and Berea chambers of commerce are sponsoring a Sept. 2 golf outing at Mallard Creek Golf Course. cleveland, 8 Aug. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle French, from Latin commercium, from com- + merc-, merx merchandise
First Known Use
Noun
1537, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1596, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing commerce
Kids Definition
commerce
noun
com·merce ˈkä-mərs
-ˌmərs
: the buying and selling of goods especially on a large scale and between different places : trade
Legal Definition
commerce
noun
com·merce
1
: the exchange or buying and selling of goods, commodities, property, or services especially on a large scale and involving transportation from place to place : trade sense 2 see also commerce clause, Fair Labor Standards Act
2
: the act of engaging in sexual intercourse
commerces
noun
as in interactions
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
Relevance
- interactions
- relations
- dealings
- intercourses
- companies
- interrelationships
- companionships
- cross-fertilizations
- cross-pollinations
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- nonintercourses