Commodity is a term with distinct meanings in both business and in Marxian political economy. For the former, it is a largely homogeneous product, traded solely on the basis of price, whereas for the latter, it refers to wares offered for exchange.

Linguistically, the word commodity came into use in English in the 15th century, being derived from the French word "commodité", meaning today's (2000) "convenience" in term of quality of services. The Latin root meaning is commoditas, referring variously to the appropriate measure of something; a fitting state, time or condition; a good quality; efficaciousness or propriety; and advantage, or benefit. The German equivalent is die Ware, i.e. wares or goods offered for sale. The French equivalent is "produit de base" like energy, goods, or industrial raw materials.