English Reference

Word

commercial

Phoneticscom·mer·cial

US/kəˈmɝʃəɫ/

UK/kəmˈɜːʃəl/

Definitions

01related to business

B1

adj. related to buying and selling goods or services to make a profit.

adj. pertaining to the exchange of goods and services within a market economy, specifically with a focus on profit.

“The city center is full of commercial buildings like shops and offices.”

“The company decided to delay the commercial release of the software until the security vulnerabilities were fully addressed.”

Usage

Usually placed before the noun it describes.

Antonyms

non-profitprivate

02aviation/transport

B2 · Computing

adj. used for carrying passengers or cargo for money, rather than for private or military use.

adj. denoting aircraft, flights, or pilots engaged in the transport of passengers or freight for hire.

“He is training hard to get his commercial pilot license.”

“Commercial aviation has seen a significant increase in fuel efficiency due to advancements in engine design over the last decade.”

Antonyms

03an advertisement

B1

n. a short film or audio message that tries to sell you something on TV, radio, or the internet.

n. a broadcast advertisement on television, radio, or digital streaming platforms.

“I hate it when the movie is interrupted by long commercials.”

“The marketing agency produced a high-budget commercial that aired during the championship game to maximize brand exposure.”

Teaching tip

In British English, 'advert' or 'ad' is more common for print and TV, while 'commercial' is standard in American English for broadcast media.

Synonyms

Etymology

From French commercial (“of, or pertaining to commerce”), from Late Latin commercialis, from Latin commercium. By surface analysis, commerce + -ial.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Collocations

commercial successcommercial systemscommercial vesselscommercial enterprise

Word family

commerceNouncommercialAdjectivecommerciallyAdverb

Domains

AviationFinance

This entry

Level
B1 · Intermediate
Frequency
Very common
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/commercial

English Reference