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.