commercialize

verb

com·​mer·​cial·​ize kə-ˈmər-shə-ˌlīz How to pronounce commercialize (audio)
commercialized; commercializing

transitive verb

1
a
: to manage on a business basis for profit
b
: to develop commerce in
2
: to exploit for profit
commercialize Christmas
3
: to debase in quality for more profit
commercialization noun

Examples of commercialize in a Sentence

The company hopes to commercialize the drug next year.
Recent Examples on the Web It was commercialized in March with the La Roche-Posay brand. Jenny B. Fine, WWD, 18 Oct. 2024 Back when calculators were commercialized, starting in the mid-1960s, their electronics were designed to operate as efficiently as possible. Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 17 Oct. 2024 By the early 1990s, the brand generated $1 billion in annual revenue and became an American lingerie empire, having deftly shifted its marketing message and product through the culturally conservative Reagan years to the ’90s and ’00s where sexuality was increasingly commercialized. Tara John, CNN, 16 Oct. 2024 The beauty industry has found a way to commercialize every square inch of your skin, from whole-body deodorant to intimate vulva-care. Ariana Yaptangco, Glamour, 14 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for commercialize 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'commercialize.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1830, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of commercialize was in 1830

Dictionary Entries Near commercialize

Cite this Entry

“Commercialize.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commercialize. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

commercialize

verb
com·​mer·​cial·​ize kə-ˈmər-shə-ˌlīz How to pronounce commercialize (audio)
commercialized; commercializing
1
: to manage for the sake of making a profit
2
: to use for profit
commercialize Christmas
commercialization noun

More from Merriam-Webster on commercialize

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!