mercantilism

[ mur-kuhn-ti-liz-uhm, -tee-, -tahy- ]
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noun
  1. mercantile practices or spirit; commercialism.

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Origin of mercantilism

1
From the French word mercantilisme, dating back to 1870–75. See mercantile, -ism

Other words from mercantilism

  • mer·can·til·ist, noun, adjective
  • mer·can·til·is·tic, adjective

Words Nearby mercantilism

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How to use mercantilism in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for mercantilism

mercantilism

/ (ˈmɜːkəntɪˌlɪzəm) /


noun
  1. Also called: mercantile system economics a theory prevalent in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries asserting that the wealth of a nation depends on its possession of precious metals and therefore that the government of a nation must maximize the foreign trade surplus, and foster national commercial interests, a merchant marine, the establishment of colonies, etc

  2. a rare word for commercialism (def. 1)

Derived forms of mercantilism

  • mercantilist, noun, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for mercantilism

mercantilism

[ (mur-kuhn-tee-liz-uhm, mur-kuhn-ti-liz-uhm, mur-kuhn-teye-liz-uhm) ]


An economic doctrine that flourished in Europe from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries. Mercantilists held that a nation's wealth consisted primarily in the amount of gold and silver in its treasury. Accordingly, mercantilist governments imposed extensive restrictions on their economies to ensure a surplus of exports over imports. In the eighteenth century, mercantilism was challenged by the doctrine of laissez-faire. (See also Adam Smith.)

Notes for mercantilism

The European quest for colonial holdings in Asia, Africa, and North and South America was partially a product of mercantile economics.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.