Mercantile

mėr′kan-tīl, adj. pertaining to merchants: having to do with trade: commercial.— ns. Mer′cantilism ; Mer′cant i list .— Mercantile agency , a means of getting information about the circumstances of merchants all over the country, for the use of those who sell to them; Mercantile law , the points of law referring to the dealings of merchants with each other; Mercantile marine , the ships and their crews which in any country are employed in commerce; Mercantile system ( pol it. econ. ), the system of encouraging exportation and restricting importation, so that more may be received than is paid away. [Fr.,—Low L.—L. mercans , -antis , pr.p. of mercāri , to trade— merx , merc is , merchandise— merēre , to gain.]