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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Mercantile \Mer"can*tile\ (?; 277), a. [F. mercantile, It.
mercantile, fr. L. mercans, -antis, p. pr. of mercari to
traffic. See {Merchant}.]
Of or pertaining to merchants, or the business of merchants;
having to do with trade, or the buying and selling of
commodities; commercial.
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The expedition of the Argonauts was partly mercantile,
partly military. --Arbuthnot.
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{Mercantile agency}, an agency for procuring information of
the standing and credit of merchants in different parts of
the country, for the use of dealers who sell to them.

{Mercantile marine}, the persons and vessels employed in
commerce, taken collectively.

{Mercantile paper}, the notes or acceptances given by
merchants for goods bought, or received on consignment;
drafts on merchants for goods sold or consigned.
--McElrath.
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Syn: {Mercantile}, {Commercial}.

Usage: Commercial is the wider term, being sometimes used to
embrace mercantile. In their stricter use, commercial
relates to the shipping, freighting, forwarding, and
other business connected with the commerce of a
country (whether external or internal), that is, the
exchange of commodities; while mercantile applies to
the sale of merchandise and goods when brought to
market. As the two employments are to some extent
intermingled, the two words are often interchanged.
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