merchandise

1 of 2

noun

mer·​chan·​dise ˈmər-chən-ˌdīz How to pronounce merchandise (audio)
-ˌdīs
1
: the commodities or goods that are bought and sold in business : wares
sells a variety of spring merchandise
2
archaic : the occupation of a merchant : trade

merchandise

2 of 2

verb

mer·​chan·​dise ˈmər-chən-ˌdīz How to pronounce merchandise (audio)
variants or less commonly merchandize
merchandised also merchandized; merchandising also merchandizing

transitive verb

1
: to buy and sell in business
carpets from Iran, India, or Taiwan are merchandised along with Italian leather goods and Spanish ceramicsIrving Kolodin
2
: to promote for or as if for sale
merchandise a movie star

intransitive verb

archaic : to carry on commerce : trade
merchandiser noun

Examples of merchandise in a Sentence

Noun The merchandise will arrive by truck at noon. He's developed his own brand of merchandise. Verb The political candidates are being merchandised to the public. the now-familiar practice of stores merchandising goods at dramatically lower prices on the day after Thanksgiving
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Shoplifting: At 6:47 p.m., someone entered Safeway in the Argonaut Shopping Center on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road and stole merchandise valued at approximately $400. Anne Gelhaus, The Mercury News, 17 Mar. 2024 Otherwise, all the merchandise should be the same inside and outside the venue. The Enquirer, 15 Mar. 2024 She was accused of attempting to steal merchandise from the city's Von Maur store and of hitting a security guard in the face once confronted, according to her arrest citation. Rachel Smith, The Courier-Journal, 15 Mar. 2024 She was charged with second-degree robbery after being accused of attempting to steal merchandise from the city's Von Maur store in late March 2022, according to her arrest citation, and of hitting a security guard in the face who confronted her. The Indianapolis Star, 15 Mar. 2024 Some of the more expensive merchandise in the store, including laundry detergents and hair regrowth products, are placed behind locked shelves. Detroit Free Press, 13 Mar. 2024 Friend of the Festival packages (advance ticket packages), which include reservations for indoor conversations, weekend parking and festival merchandise are available for purchase now. Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 As of publication, no merchandise with Hitler quotes is featured on St. John's website. Shania Russell, EW.com, 12 Mar. 2024 If nothing else, the merchandise for the publicity campaign for Y2K will be good. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024
Verb
The event, originally kicking off in 2002, features over 50 bands from across the world, Beatles merchandise, on-site food and drink vendors, retail and craft vendors and more. Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 19 Mar. 2024 Collectibles Fanaticism: Powered by its connections with leagues and star athletes, a merchandising giant has entered the sports hobby universe with deep pockets and sharp elbows. Matt Flegenheimer, New York Times, 6 Feb. 2024 Education and development – Partnering with universities to provide executive learning for suppliers and historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and providing merchandising education to help reach retail buyers. Julie Kratz, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 In 2017, these customers made up 21% of Dollar General’s shoppers and 43% of its sales in 2017 according to Jim Thorpe, Dollar General’s chief merchandising officer at the time. Bysasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2024 As the books flew off shelves (or hopped off, as the case may be), Potter sensed a merchandising opportunity. Jess Bidgood, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2024 Rosen was instrumental in turning these chefs into A-list celebrities through choosing appropriate endorsements, merchandising deals, venues, etc., to build their brands. Brian Steinberg, Variety, 3 Jan. 2024 Forbes notes that ticket and merchandising sales from the 53-stop tour should bring in a well over $1 billion in revenues, a record. Jon Markman, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023 The company has shaped the very nature of entertainment through its movies, theme parks that have become vacation destinations, merchandising strategies and television networks. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'merchandise.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English marchaundise, from Anglo-French marchandise, from marcheant

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of merchandise was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near merchandise

Cite this Entry

“Merchandise.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/merchandise. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

merchandise

1 of 2 noun
mer·​chan·​dise ˈmər-chən-ˌdīz How to pronounce merchandise (audio)
-ˌdīs
: the goods that are bought and sold in trade

merchandise

2 of 2 verb
ˈmər-chən-ˌdīz
merchandised; merchandising
: to buy and sell : trade
especially : to try to improve sales of goods or services by attractive presentation and publicity
merchandiser noun

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