Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
foreign commerce noun
- See under commerce(def 1).
commerce [kom-ers] noun
- an interchange of goods or commodities, especially on a large scale between different countries (foreign commerce) or between different parts of the same country (domestic commerce); trade; business.
- social relations, especially the exchange of views, attitudes, etc.
- sexual intercourse.
- intellectual or spiritual interchange; communion.
- (initial capital letter) Also called Commerce Department. Informal. the Department of Commerce.
Origin of commerce 1530–40; Middle French Latin commercium, equivalent to commerc(ārī) to trade together (com- com- + mercārī to buy, deal, derivative of merc-, stem of merx goods) + -ium -ium Synonym study 1. See trade. British Dictionary definitions for foreign commerce commerce noun
- the activity embracing all forms of the purchase and sale of goods and services
- social relations and exchange, esp of opinions, attitudes, etc
Word Origin for commerce C16: from Latin commercium trade, from commercārī, from mercārī to trade, from merx merchandise Word Origin and History for foreign commerce commerce n.
1530s, from Middle French commerce (14c.), from Latin commercium “trade, trafficking,” from com- “together” (see com-) + merx (genitive mercis) “merchandise” (see market (n.)).