mercantilism

noun

mer·can·til·ism ˈmər-kən-ˌtē-ˌli-zəm

-ˌtī-,

-tə-

: the theory or practice of mercantile pursuits : commercialism

: an economic system developing during the decay of feudalism to unify and increase the power and especially the monetary wealth of a nation by a strict governmental regulation of the entire national economy usually through policies designed to secure an accumulation of bullion (see bullion sense 1), a favorable balance of trade, the development of agriculture and manufactures, and the establishment of foreign trading monopolies (see monopoly sense 1)

mercantilist

ˈmər-kən-ˌtē-list

-ˌtī-

-tə-

noun or adjective

mercantilistic

ˌmər-kən-ˌtē-ˈli-stik

-ˌtī-

-tə-

adjective

Examples of mercantilism in a Sentence

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From the 16th to 18th centuries, mercantilism dominated as the prevailing economic model. —

Mirjana Perkovic, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 In 1776, Adam Smith’s seminal work, The Wealth of Nations, revolutionized economic thought by challenging mercantilism. —

Mirjana Perkovic, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025 As the foreign policy expert Wess Mitchell has recently argued, the United States needs to create a unified front against Chinese mercantilism. —

Nadia Schadlow, Foreign Affairs, 9 Oct. 2024 Through mercantilism and colonization, Europeans sought natural resources abroad in order to increase their power at home. —

Kathleen Duval, The Atlantic, 2 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for mercantilism