a. [mod. f. L. commerci-um COMMERCE + -AL: cf. mod.F. commercial, Sp. comercial (not found in early 17th c. Dicts.)]
1. Engaged in commerce: trading.
a. 1687. Petty, Pol. Arith., iv. (1691), 82. The whole Commercial World, or World of Trade, consisteth of about Eighty Millions of Souls, as aforesaid.
1691. T. H[ale], Acc. New Invent., 129. What Harbours and Ports there are in the whole Commercial World.
1774. Burke, Sp. Electors Bristol, Wks. III. 21. A rich commercial city … a part of a rich commercial nation.
1817. Ponsonby, in Parl. Deb., 9. There were in the House many commercial men.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xiv. Did you ever hear of the great commercial house of Bilson and Slum?
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., vi. (1858), 271. The two great commercial states of the ancient world.
2. Having reference to, or bearing on commerce, as in Commercial Law, Treaty.
1744. J. Campbell (title), Voyages and Travels containing … the commercial History of Chorea and Japan.
1765. (title) Commercial Laws, Charters and Decrees.
1789. (title) Catalogue of the Commercial Library at Hamburg.
1866. Crump, Banking, Pref. 7. To pass a commercial examination previous to engaging in business.
1889. Times, 30 Dec., 13/2. Commercial geography, in the strict sense, can hardly be considered as an ordinary school subject.
3. Of or pertaining to commerce or trade.
1757. Johnson, Pref. to Rolt’s Dict. Comm., Wks. IX. 422. A time in which … commercial gain was sought with such general emulation.
1825. McCulloch, Pol. Econ. I. 39. The great principles of commercial freedom.
1848. Mill, Pol. Econ., III. xii. § 3. There is said to be a commercial crisis when a great number of merchants and traders at once, either have, or apprehend that they shall have, a difficulty in meeting their engagements.
4. Such as passes current in the transactions of commerce.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 192, ¶ 11. My contempt of the commercial dialect.
1821. J. Q. Adams, in C. Davies, Metr. Syst., III. 115. The corresponding commercial weight proportional to their pound troy.
1879. E. Garrett, House by Wks., I. 32. The dusty ways of common commercial morality.
b. Forming an article of general commerce.
Generally implying chemical impurity, or a different quality from that which is used for scientific or medical purposes.
c. 1865. Orr’s Circ. Sc., Chem. 318. The commercial acid is generally not quite pure.
1875. Ure, Dict. Arts, I. 749. s.v. Catechu, The ordinary commercial catechu is prepared by boiling the chips.
5. Viewed as a mere matter of business; looking toward financial profit.
1882. Pebody, Eng. Journalism, x. 71. The Public Advertiser, if not the first English newspaper to be published upon commercial principles, was the first English newspaper that proved a commercial success.
Mod. The commercial aspect of the enterprise is not very promising. It is a purely commercial speculation.
6. Phrases. Commercial letter, note: sizes of writing paper in U.S. † Commercial play: cf. COMMERCE 6 b. Commercial room: a room in an inn, hotel, etc., for the accommodation of commercial travellers and their customers. Commercial traveller: an agent for a manufacturer, wholesale trader, etc., who travels over a district, showing samples and soliciting orders.
1749. Chesterf., Lett., II. 247. Are they little commercial play, are they music, are they la belle conversation, or are they all three? Ibid. (1774), I. 318. Do [your Amusements and Pleasures] consist in little commercial play [un petit jen de société] in good company?
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xiv. In the evening the ‘commercial room’ was filled with a social circle.
1855. (title) Commercial Traveller in Light and Shade.
1860. Dickens (title), Uncommercial Traveller.
B. sb. Short for commercial traveller.
1855. Dickens, in Story of his Life (ed. 2), 225. A most amusing and sprightly speech upon ‘Commercials.’ Ibid. (1861), Gt. Expect., xiii. A waiter … said … ‘The Commercials sent up their compliments.’
