commodify

as in to exploit
disapproving to treat (something that cannot be owned or that everyone has a right to) like a product that can be bought and sold Do we really want to commodify our water supply? I feel like our culture is being commodified.

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of commodify If the sole aim of a company is to profit, extraction and exploitation become the norm as businesses seek new resources to commodify The theory of shareholder wealth maximization has, in recent years, been met with significant scrutiny. Aissa Dearing, JSTOR Daily, 9 Jan. 2025 Far from democratizing creativity, these projects frequently centralize authority and commodify the works of individual creators. Virginie Berger, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024 This refers to the societal tendency to commodify every aspect of life, often to the detriment of authenticity and human connection. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 11 Dec. 2024 Critics argue these policies effectively commodify citizenship, potentially undermining social cohesion. David Faris, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for commodify
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commodify
Verb
  • Sheeraz is also adept at timing; if his foe offers a slight opening, Sheeraz can exploit it and land a powerful strike.
    Trent Reinsmith, Forbes.com, 10 July 2025
  • His bat speed hasn’t slowed, but there will always be ways to exploit even the greatest hitters.
    Matt Gelb, New York Times, 10 July 2025
Verb
  • Even a congressional candidate has alleged that humans manipulated the weather behind the Fourth of July weekend floods in Texas, which left at least 120 people dead and more than 170 still missing.
    Brandi D. Addison, Austin American Statesman, 12 July 2025
  • Attackers can exploit this vulnerability to run malicious code or access other parts of your system by manipulating memory.
    Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 July 2025
Verb
  • Overstreet received a $2,700 check from the Ocala Police Department for his nonprofit in 2022, during the same timeframe when he was accused of abusing the teen girl, records show.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 14 July 2025
  • Under our nation's laws, our government has the authority to revoke your green card if our laws are broken and abused.
    Mandy Taheri, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 July 2025
Verb
  • Industry partners see several revenue opportunities, including ticket sales and commercializing long corridors of railway rights-of-way.
    Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025
  • Over the last decade, Shine has commercialized technology to separate isotopes for medical applications such as treating cancer.
    IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 7 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Commodify.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commodify. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.

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