COMMODITY, in economics, a portion of wealth, a thing which being desired as possessing the power to satisfy human wants, is limited in supply and has therefore value in exchange. Every commodity which satisfies a want is said to possess "util ity"; conversely, everything possessing utility is a commodity. The economic expression "utility" does not mean usefulness, and has no moral sigmificance. The economic touchstone is the satisfaction of human want, from whatever cause arising. Thus, an alcoholic beverage may or may not be useful, but it is wanted and in demand and is therefore in the economic sense a commodity. In the same way, the autograph manuscript of a book already printed may be a commodity. (See EcoNomics.)