as in greed
disapproving
the practice or attitude of placing an excessive emphasis on earning money, making a profit, or buying goods
the increasing commercialism of the Christmas holiday She decried the commercialism of modern society where objects of purely artistic value were often ignored.
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Recent Examples of commercialism
Forget commercialism and stress.
—
Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2025
The runaway commercialism has only picked up speed.
—Paige Williams, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Such a move would never be tolerated or accepted by a footballing environment that remains deeply suspicious of commercialism and militantly on guard against any move in that direction.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Over the course of six seasons and two movies, the show’s thrillingly cynical core got smothered by cloying commercialism—a fixation on both wide-eyed romance and flamboyant luxury.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
Monitor Staff, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2025
The runaway commercialism has only picked up speed.
—Paige Williams, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
Such a move would never be tolerated or accepted by a footballing environment that remains deeply suspicious of commercialism and militantly on guard against any move in that direction.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Over the course of six seasons and two movies, the show’s thrillingly cynical core got smothered by cloying commercialism—a fixation on both wide-eyed romance and flamboyant luxury.
—Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 15 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commercialism
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commercialism
Noun
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Across 17 tracks, Amos positions herself as both conqueror and coward, exploring how the greed and individualism of modern society has allowed tech feudalists and 21st-century robber barons to make out like kings.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
1 May 2026
-
The villain is corporate greed.—
Louis Peitzman,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
This is a guy who could write these incredibly bigoted figures, and then also write this really searing indictment of American materialism.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
19 Apr. 2026
-
The book is a Christian parable, pitting faith against 20th-century materialism.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
There’s a constant intertwining of protectiveness and possessiveness with Ruben in terms of his relationship to Niall.—
K.J. Yossman,
Variety,
24 Apr. 2026
-
One minute, Ruben can be protecting Niall and have a sort of protective quality which is sort of beautiful, but then in the same sentence, can move into a toxic possessiveness.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commercialism.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commercialism. Accessed 3 May. 2026.
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