multi-level marketing

noun

variants or multilevel marketing
: a business structure or practice in which an individual seller earns commissions both from direct sales and from the sales of the seller's recruits, of those recruited by the seller's recruits, and so on
In multi-level marketing, like selling Amway cleaning products, you also earn commissions from products sold by others you bring into the organization.Judy Waytiuk
If the money you make is based on your sales to the public, it may be a legitimate multilevel marketing plan. If the money you make is mainly based on the number of people you recruit and your sales to them, it's a pyramid scheme.Aditi Jhaveri
abbreviation MLM
multi-level marketer noun
or multilevel marketer
plural multi-level marketers or multilevel marketers
She signed on with the multilevel marketer (a business model that pays income from the sales of consultants recruited into the program) in October 2001, hosting spa parties at friends' homes. Claire McIntosh

Examples of multi-level marketing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Family-friendly fun, live music, unique vendors (no multi-level marketing). Luann Gibbs, The Enquirer, 20 Oct. 2024 Claiming to provide low-effort income and flexible working hours, multi-level marketing (MLM) companies seem like a great opportunity for anyone who wants to work on their own terms. Brianna Kamienski, USA TODAY, 31 July 2024 However, consumers continued to question the concept online, likening it to a multi-level marketing scheme (MLM) — the practice of selling products to the public. Jacqueline Kilikita, refinery29.com, 28 Feb. 2024 The potshot at multi-level marketing schemes is a perfect example of the show’s sly sense of humor, which often takes aim at corners of culture that speak to its demographic. Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Lotus is a sales rep for the multi-level marketing company, according to a list of active members on their website. Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Sep. 2023 The company sells through a network of representatives, in a multi-level marketing model. Shannon Sollitt, The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 Sep. 2023 Around a decade ago, having shifted to a multi-level marketing model, LifeVantage began to ramp up spurious claims about the power of its natural compounds to halt or reverse effects not only of the aging process, but of conditions including cancer and Alzheimer’s. Lindsay Gellman, STAT, 8 Sep. 2023 Angeline’s messaging for prospective Healy buyers is similar to that offered to stay-at-home moms who sign up for other affiliate multi-level marketing companies, such as LulaRoe or DoTerra: achieve financial independence and autonomy without having to leave your home. Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 9 May 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of multi-level marketing was in 1968

Dictionary Entries Near multi-level marketing

Cite this Entry

“Multi-level marketing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/multi-level%20marketing. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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