commodities

IPA/kəˈmɒd.ə.ti/
KK[kəmˈɑdətiz]IPA/kəˈmɑː.də.t̬i/

commodities — noun

  • commoditiessingular
  • commoditiesesplural

1. a basic product, such as oil, wheat, or metal, that is bought and sold in large

1.名詞B2
釋義

a basic product, such as oil, wheat, or metal, that is bought and sold in large quantities and has the same market value regardless of who produces it — its price is determined by supply and demand rather than by brand or individual features.

例句

The price of oil and other commodities has fallen sharply this year.

collocation: commodity price / price of commodities

Selim invests in commodities such as gold, copper, and silver.

collocation: invest in commodities

同義詞
  • goods

    broader — goods includes finished products; commodities are specifically raw or basic goods

  • merchandise

    more commercial/retail — merchandise suggests finished items for sale

  • raw materials

    narrower — raw materials are a subset of commodities that have not been processed at all

  • products

    more general — products can be finished or branded; commodities are interchangeable across producers

用法筆記

Often used in the plural form (commodities) when referring to the general category of raw materials and primary products traded on global markets.

常見錯誤

❌I bought some commodities at the grocery store.
✅I bought some goods at the grocery store.
💡commodities in the economic sense refers to raw materials and bulk products, not finished retail items.
❌She turned her hobby into a commodity.' (for sense 1)
✅She turned her hobby into a business.
💡the economic sense of commodity does not mean 'a thing one makes or sells'; it means raw materials traded on exchanges.

2. a personal quality or characteristic — such as honesty, skill, or experience — t

2.名詞C1
釋義

a personal quality or characteristic — such as honesty, skill, or experience — that is considered extremely useful or valuable, almost as if it were a tradable resource in a particular situation.

例句

In this industry, experience is a rare commodity that employers are willing to pay for.

metaphorical: experience is a commodity

Honesty is a valuable commodity in any workplace, especially among sales teams.

同義詞
  • asset

    more neutral and common — asset can be any positive quality; commodity emphasizes market-like scarcity and value

  • advantage

    different emphasis — advantage focuses on competitive benefit rather than inherent value

  • quality

    more general — quality does not carry the metaphorical sense of tradability that commodity suggests

用法筆記

This sense always appears in a metaphorical comparison — the quality is compared to a physical commodity. It is typically modified by an adjective (rare, valuable, priceless) and used in a singular count-noun frame: 'a/one/that + adjective + commodity'.

常見錯誤

❌Patience is an important commodity for teachers.' (vague)
✅Patience is a valuable commodity for teachers working with large classes.
💡the metaphor works best when the situation makes clear why the quality is scarce and prized.