commercialize

/kəˌmʌrʃəˈlaɪz/

/kəˈmʌʃəlaɪz/

Other forms: commercialized; commercializing; commercializes

To commercialize something is to make money from it. If you're a painter, you might commercialize your art by printing greeting cards and selling them online.

The verb commercialize comes from the adjective commercial, "done for financial profit," and its root, the Latin commercium, "trade." When you take an activity or an organization and manage it so that it results in a profit, you commercialize it. Delivering baked goods to your neighbors out of a sense of generosity is one thing — when you start charging them two dollars per cookie, you've commercialized your hobby.

Definitions of commercialize

1. verb

   make commercial
   “Some Amish people have commercialized their way of life”

   synonyms: commercialise, market

   type of:

   alter, change, modify

   cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
2. verb

   exploit for maximal profit, usually by sacrificing quality
   “The hotel owners are commercializing the beaches”

   synonyms: commercialise

   type of:

   exploit, tap

   draw from; make good use of