commerce

commerce — noun

1. the large-scale trading of products and services between businesses, regions, or

1.nounB2
Definition

the large-scale trading of products and services between businesses, regions, or countries, covering activities from production to final sale

Example

The new trade agreement boosted commerce between Vietnam and its Southeast Asian neighbours.

commerce + between + [places]

E-commerce has transformed how small shops in Taipei reach customers across Taiwan.

compound noun: e-commerce

Common collocations
  • international commerce
  • domestic commerce
  • electronic commerce / e-commerce
  • commerce between countries
  • commerce in goods
  • ocean commerce
  • global commerce
Synonyms
  • trade

    more concrete and everyday; commerce often implies a larger, more organized system

  • business

    broader in scope, covering management and operations beyond pure exchange

Grammar Patterns

the + commerce + between + [entities]

commerce + in + [products]

Usage Note

Uncountable noun — do not say 'a commerce' or 'commerces.' More formal and abstract than 'trade'; typically used for organized, large-scale exchange between regions or countries rather than a single purchase.

Common Mistakes

The two countries have a strong commerce.
The two countries have strong commerce.
commerce is uncountable and does not take an indefinite article.
I went to the market for commerce.
I went to the market to buy vegetables.
commerce refers to the broad system of trade, not an individual shopping trip.

Word family

  • commercial
    adjectiveB2
  • commercially
    adverbB2
  • commercialize
    verbC1
  • commercialization
    nounC1
  • e-commerce
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Trade is the most concrete and everyday term — you can trade a bicycle with a neighbour, or talk about trade between two countries. Business is the broadest: it covers management, finance, operations, and strategy, not just exchange. Commerce sits between them: more formal than trade, more exchange-focused than business. You study international commerce at university, but you talk about trade tariffs and business strategy. Commerce usually implies a systematic, large-scale flow of goods or services across markets, whereas trade can describe a single transaction. For example: 'India and China increased bilateral trade' sounds natural, while 'the growth of digital commerce' better describes the online-shopping system than 'digital trade' or 'digital business' would.

trade ↗business ↗commerce ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • chamber of commerce
  • secretary of commerce
  • department of commerce

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Commerce comes from Latin 'commercium', formed from 'com-' (together) and 'merx' (merchandise or goods). It traveled into English through French 'commerce' in the 1500s. The original idea was 'trading together' — people exchanging goods with one another. A secondary meaning of 'social conversation or interaction' appeared in the 1500s too, but that sense is now rare.