anti-commercial
|an-ti-com-mer-cial|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.ti.kəˈmɜr.ʃəl/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.ti.kəˈmɜː.ʃəl/
against commerce / not for profit
Etymology
'anti-commercial' is formed from the prefix 'anti-' and the adjective 'commercial'. 'anti-' originates from Greek 'anti-' meaning 'against' or 'opposite'. 'commercial' comes from Late Latin/Medieval Latin 'commercialis' (from Latin 'commercium') meaning 'trade' or 'business'.
'commercial' passed into Old French as 'commercial' and Middle English as 'commercial', keeping the sense related to 'commerce' and trade; the prefix 'anti-' from Greek was combined with English adjectives in Modern English to form compounds like 'anti-commercial'. Over time these elements combined in Modern English to produce the compound 'anti-commercial'.
Initially the elements signified 'against trade' (literally 'against commerce'); over time the compound has come to mean both 'opposed to commercialization/ commercialism' and 'not intended for commercial use (non-commercial)'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who is opposed to commercialism or to commercial influences; someone who advocates limits on commercialization.
As an anti-commercial, she often spoke out against corporate sponsorship of cultural events.
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Adjective 1
opposed to commercialism or the influence of commercial interests; critical of profit-driven commercialization.
The group published an anti-commercial manifesto protesting the spread of advertising in public spaces.
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Adjective 2
not intended for commercial use or not designed to appeal to mass-market, profit-driven tastes; non-commercial.
The film deliberately took an anti-commercial approach, avoiding mainstream plot hooks and product placement.
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Last updated: 2025/10/21 21:25