The noun product (prod'əkt or-ukt) is defined as a "thing produced by labor or effort"  or the "result of an act or a process" , and stems from the verb produce (prə doos' or -dyoos') from the Latin prōdūce(re), (to) lead or bring forth. Since 1575, the word "product" has referred to anything produced[3]. Since 1695, the word has referred to "thing or things produced". The economic or commercial meaning of product was first used by political economist Adam Smith .

In marketing, a product is anything that can be offered to a market that might satisfy a want or need . In retailing, products are called merchandise. In manufacturing, products are purchased as raw materials and sold as finished goods. Commodities are usually raw materials such as metals and agricultural products, but a commodity can also be anything widely available in the open market. In project management, products are the formal definition of the project deliverables that make up or contribute to delivering the objectives of the project.

In general usage, product may refer to a single item or unit, a group of equivalent products, a grouping of goods or services, or an industrial classification for the goods or services.