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mercantile
adjective
mer·can·tile
| \ ˈmər-kən-ˌtēl
, -ˌtī(-ə)l\
, -ˌtī(-ə)l\
Definition of mercantile
1
: of or relating to merchants or trading
mercantile families mercantile businesses
2
: of, relating to, or having the characteristics of mercantilism
mercantile system
Examples of mercantile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
In Ancient Rome, suicide was permitted as an alternative to dishonor, but not for slaves and soldiers, the former because of the mercantile nature of their existence and the latter as a mark of patriotism. — Simon Harold Walker, Time, "If We Want to Address the Crisis of Veteran Suicide, We Must Acknowledge Its History," 6 Sep. 2019 The hourglass, for example, is a relic from maritime, clerical, and mercantile life that was mostly replaced more than 500 years ago by the mechanical clock. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "I Tried to Limit My Screen Time," 5 Sep. 2019 Europe, Japan, Canada and other countries have similar complaints about China’s mercantile practices. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Trump’s China Trade Truce," 2 Dec. 2018 China’s leaders have long viewed their legal system, and the global trade architecture including the World Trade Organization, as tools to be used for political or mercantile ends—and ignored when necessary. — Nathaniel Taplin, WSJ, "Trade Deals With China—Done the Chinese Way," 12 Dec. 2018 Trump’s bitter clashes with Canada and Europe over trade, as well as his solicitous courtship of North Korea’s brutal dictator, all reflect this mercantile perspective. — Tory Newmyer, Washington Post, "The Finance 202: It's U.S. states that will bear the brunt of Trump's tariffs," 14 June 2018 If calls continue, the landlord must appear before the commissioners, who decide whether the owner’s mercantile license should be revoked. — Avalon R. Zoppo, Philly.com, "Senior Week in Wildwood: A money-making machine that residents love to hate," 20 June 2018 These hints of private realms beckon most alluringly from the Tiber River-adjacent Regola neighborhood, known since the Renaissance as the center for mercantile activities from plate-making to leather-stitching. — Chiara Barzini, New York Times, "The Secret Atelier Behind a Roman Boutique," 16 May 2018 The Hassayampa was built in 1927 by a consortium of leading citizens who thought their mineral-rich mountain town needed an elegant hotel to anchor its banking and mercantile efforts. — Charles Fleming, latimes.com, "Hiking and history are on display on a weekend escape to Prescott, Ariz.," 26 Apr. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'mercantile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for mercantile
mercantile
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of mercantile
formal
: of or relating to the business of buying and selling products to earn money : of or relating to trade or merchants
See the full definition for mercantile in the English Language Learners Dictionary
mercantile
adjective
mer·can·tile
| \ ˈmər-kən-ˌtēl
, -ˌtīl\
, -ˌtīl\
Kids Definition of mercantile
: of or relating to merchants or trade
a rich mercantile family
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