commercially
gb/kəmˈɚʃəli/ us/kəmˈɚʃəli/
B2
English
~ 7300
Senses
0 senses
adverb
B2
property
1
in terms of business success
Talking about how much money something makes, or how successful it is in the market.
Usage pattern:
commercially [adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *commercial* instead of *commercially* in this sense, saying, for example, "The film was very commercial successful." The correct form is the adverb: "The film was very commercially successful." Learners may also confuse "commercially" with "commercial", which can mean either "for business" or "full of advertising."
Synonyms
financially (Focuses more directly on money, not on broader business success.)
|
in business terms (More explicit phrase, slightly more informal and conversational.)
Antonyms
critically (Refers to success in reviews or expert opinion rather than in sales or profit.)
Collocations
commercially successful
|commercially viable
|commercially attractive
|commercially promising
|commercially important
Themes
business
|economics
|media
|finance
Examples
- The film was a flop critically but did very well commercially.
- Streaming the album for free turned out to be commercially risky.
- Although the drug works, it is not commercially viable at the current production cost.
- The project looks interesting scientifically but doubtful commercially.
- Her app has huge potential commercially, especially in Asian markets.
Learner examples
- The movie was not popular with critics but was successful commercially.
- This idea is good, but it may not work commercially.
- The phone failed commercially because it was too expensive.
adverb
B2
property
2
produced and sold on the market
Produced and sold by companies so that people can buy it in normal shops or online.
Usage pattern:
commercially [participle/adjective]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say "it is commercial available" instead of "commercially available." The adverb *commercially* must come before the adjective: "commercially available," "commercially produced," etc.
Synonyms
on the market (Everyday phrase; slightly more informal and less technical-sounding.)
|
for sale (Very general; does not always imply large-scale business production.)
Antonyms
experimentally (Suggests something exists only in tests or trials, not as a product sold to the public.)
Collocations
commercially available
|commercially produced
|commercially manufactured
|commercially released
|commercially grown
Themes
business
|technology
|science
Examples
- A vaccine is not expected to be commercially available for at least two years.
- The technology was developed in a lab but is now being commercially produced.
- Electric trucks are already commercially viable and sold in several countries.
- This battery is too unstable to be used commercially at the moment.
- The plant is not yet grown commercially in this region.
Learner examples
- These cars are not commercially available in my country.
- The new phone will be commercially released next year.
- This fruit is very rare and is not grown commercially.
adverb
formal
C1
property
3
for profit-making purposes
Used to talk about using something to make money, not just for private or personal use.
Usage pattern:
use [something] commercially
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this legal/business sense with simple "buying and selling." In license texts, "may not be used commercially" does not mean you cannot buy it; it means you cannot use it to make money.
Synonyms
for profit (Plain phrase that clearly states the focus on making money.)
Antonyms
non-commercially (Explicitly means not for profit or business use, for example personal, educational, or charitable use.)
Collocations
use [something] commercially
|exploit [something] commercially
|develop [something] commercially
|license [something] commercially
Themes
law
|business
|technology
Examples
- These images are free to use non-commercially but may not be used commercially without permission.
- The data can be shared, but it cannot be exploited commercially.
- Under the license, the software may not be distributed commercially.
- The university is looking for partners to develop the technology commercially.
- This music track is licensed for personal use only and may not be used commercially in videos.
Learner examples
- You cannot use this photo commercially without paying.
- The logo is free for private use but not commercially.
- The company wants to use the new idea commercially.
Grammar
Dictionary form
commercially
IPA
GB/kəmˈɚʃəli/
US/kəmˈɚʃəli/
Syllables & stress
com - mer - cially (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (mer)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: commercially
- Plural: commerciallies
Word family
Forms
commerciallies
noun
Core family
commerce
noun B1
commercial
adjective A2
Related words
commercialize
verb C1
commercialization
noun C1
Negative and opposite forms
noncommercial
adjective B2
Advanced or less common
commercialism
noun
Expressions
commercially available
1/kəmˈɚʃəli əvˈeɪləbəl/
fixed phrase
able to be bought by the public
You can buy it in normal shops or online because companies sell it as a product.
Examples
- Affordable solar panels are now commercially available around the world.
- The treatment is still being tested and is not commercially available yet.
- Several models of electric truck are already commercially available.
commercially grown
1/kəmˈɚʃəli ɡɹˈoʊn/
fixed phrase
grown as a crop for sale
Grown by farmers to sell, not just in small home gardens.
Examples
- Avocados are now commercially grown in several cooler countries.
- This flower is beautiful, but it is not commercially grown on a large scale.
- The fruit is too delicate to be commercially grown and transported.
commercially produced
1/kəmˈɚʃəli pɹədˈust/
fixed phrase
made by companies for sale
Made in factories or by companies so that it can be sold as a product.
Examples
- The cheese is not commercially produced; it is made only in small family farms.
- The material can now be commercially produced at scale.
- Until recently, this type of battery was too expensive to be commercially produced.
commercially successful
1/kəmˈɚʃəli səksˈɛsfəl/
fixed phrase
having made good sales
Selling very well and making good money in the market.
Examples
- The game was commercially successful despite mixed reviews.
- Her first book was not commercially successful, but critics loved it.
- They hope the new model will be more commercially successful than the last one.
use something commercially
1/jˈuz sˈʌmθɪŋ kəmˈɚʃəli/
fixed phrase
formal
use something to make money
Use a photo, idea, song, or other thing as part of a business to make money.
Examples
- You may download the icons but must not use them commercially.
- If you want to use this music commercially, you need a license.
- The company plans to use the research commercially in new products.
commercially viable
1/kəmˈɚʃəli vˈaɪəbəl/
fixed phrase
likely to make a profit
Able to make enough money so that it is worth doing as a business.
Examples
- The product is innovative, but not commercially viable yet.
- The prototype works, but it is not commercially viable at the current cost.
- They are testing whether the idea is commercially viable before launching it.
- We need a cheaper design before this product becomes commercially viable.
- The project was cancelled because it was not seen as commercially viable.