\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.
      The expedition of the Argonauts was partly mercantile,
      partly military.                         --Arbuthnot.
{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.
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.