Difference Between
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Item vs. Product: Know the Difference

Shumaila Saeed
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 29, 2023
An item is a single thing, object, or unit, without implying its creation or sale, while a product is an item or good created through a process, often for sale.
Item vs. Product

Key Differences

An item refers to any single object or unit, which can be part of a larger group, without necessarily being produced for sale. A product, however, is typically the result of a manufacturing or creative process, intended for distribution in the market.
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Dec 29, 2023
In a store, any piece of merchandise can be considered an item, such as a book, a piece of clothing, or a tool. A product is more specific, often implying that it's a commercial good, developed to meet consumer needs or demands.
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The word item can be used in various contexts, not limited to commerce, such as items on a list or in a collection. Product is more commercial, referring to goods produced by a company, often involving branding and marketing.
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In usage, an item can be a part of everyday language, referring to any tangible or intangible object. The term product often carries a commercial connotation, associated with production, marketing, and sales.
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Dec 29, 2023
In certain contexts, such as in software or digital services, the distinction can blur. Digital items can be products if they are commercialized, while all digital products are items in the broader sense.
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Comparison Chart

Definition

A single object or unit
An item created for sale or distribution
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Usage Context

General, various contexts
Commercial, related to production
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Association

Can be non-commercial
Usually commercial and marketed
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Examples

Any object, piece on a list
Goods in a store, software
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Nature

More general and broad
More specific, often commercial
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Item and Product Definitions

Item

A single object or thing.
She added an item to her shopping list.
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Product

Goods offered for sale.
This product is popular among consumers.
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Item

A unit in any context.
The agenda had several important items.
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Product

Output of a creative process.
Her latest book is a successful product.
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Item

An article or object of interest.
The museum displayed rare items.
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Product

Something derived or obtained.
The product of their efforts was remarkable.
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Item

A single article or unit in a collection, enumeration, or series.
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Product

An item that is made or refined and marketed
Farm products.
Soaps, detergents, and similar products.
Travel products such as vacation trips.
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Item

A clause of a document, such as a bill or charter.
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Product

Such items considered as a group
Sold a lot of product in May.
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Item

An entry in an account.
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Product

A preparation, such as a gel, used for styling hair
Began to use product soon after he became famous.
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Item

A bit of information; a detail.
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Product

A substance resulting from a chemical or nuclear reaction.
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Item

A short piece in a newspaper or magazine.
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Product

A direct result; a consequence
"Is history the product of impersonal social and economic forces?" (Anthony Lewis).
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Item

A romantically involved couple
"[They] soon began seeing each other ... and were an item for a year and a half." (Peter J. Boyer).
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Product

A person whose characteristics or abilities are the result of certain influences or kinds of experience
"She is the product of an America in which explicit displays of pride in intellect are considered unseemly" (Yuval Levin).
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Item

Also; likewise. Used to introduce each article in an enumeration or list.
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Product

The number or quantity obtained by multiplying two or more numbers together.
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Item

To record, especially in an itemized list.
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Product

A scalar product.
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Item

A distinct physical object.
Tweezers are great for manipulating small items.
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Product

A vector product.
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Item

An object that can be picked up for later use.
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Product

Anything that is produced; a result.
The product of last month's quality standards committee is quite good, even though the process was flawed.
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Item

A line of text having a legal or other meaning; a separate particular in an account.
The items in a bill
In response to the first item, we deny all wrongdoing.
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Product

The amount of an artifact that has been created by someone or some process.
They improve their product every year; they export most of their agricultural production.
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Item

(psychometrics) A question on a test, which may include its answers.
The exam has 100 items, each of which includes a correct response and three distractors.
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Product

A consequence of someone's efforts or of a particular set of circumstances.
Skill is the product of hours of practice.
His reaction was the product of hunger and fatigue.
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Item

A matter for discussion in an agenda.
The first item for discussion is the budget for next year's picnic.
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Product

(chemistry) A chemical substance formed as a result of a chemical reaction.
This is a product of lime and nitric acid.
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Item

(informal) Two people who are having a romantic or sexual relationship with each other.
Jack and Jill are an item.
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Product

(arithmetic) A quantity obtained by multiplication of two or more numbers.
The product of 2 and 3 is 6.
The product of 2, 3, and 4 is 24.
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Item

A short article in a newspaper.
An item concerning the weather
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Product

(mathematics) Any operation or a result thereof which generalises multiplication of numbers, like the multiplicative operation in a ring, product of types or a categorical product.
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Item

(obsolete) A hint; an innuendo.
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Product

Any tangible or intangible good or service that is a result of a process and that is intended for delivery to a customer or end user.
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Item

(India) item girl
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Product

A commodity offered for sale.
That store offers a variety of products.
We've got to sell a lot of product by the end of the month.
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Item

(transitive) To make a note of.
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Product

Any preparation to be applied to the hair, skin, nails, etc.
Wash excess product out of your hair.
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Item

Likewise
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Product

Illegal drugs, especially cocaine, when viewed as a commodity.
I got some product here – you buying?
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Item

Also; as an additional article.
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Product

To produce.
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Item

An article; a separate particular in an account; as, the items in a bill; he picked up four items at the drug store.
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Product

Anything that is produced, whether as the result of generation, growth, labor, or thought, or by the operation of involuntary causes; as, the products of the season, or of the farm; the products of manufactures; the products of the brain.
There are the productOf those ill-mated marriages.
These institutions are the products of enthusiasm.
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Item

A hint; an innuendo.
A secret item was given to some of the bishops . . . to absent themselves.
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Product

The number or sum obtained by adding one number or quantity to itself as many times as there are units in another number; the number resulting from the multiplication of two or more numbers; as, the product of the multiplication of 7 by 5 is 35. In general, the result of any kind of multiplication. See the Note under Multiplication.
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Item

A short article in a newspaper; a paragraph; as, an item concerning the weather.
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Product

To produce; to bring forward.
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Item

A topic or piece of information having the salacious character of gossip, especially a romantic relation between two people; as, I hear that the boss and his new secretary are an item.
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Product

To lengthen out; to extend.
He that doth much . . . products his mortality.
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Item

To make a note or memorandum of.
I have itemed it in my memory.
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Product

To produce; to make.
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Item

A distinct part that can be specified separately in a group of things that could be enumerated on a list;
He noticed an item in the New York Times
She had several items on her shopping list
The main point on the agenda was taken up first
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Product

Commodities offered for sale;
Good business depends on having good merchandise
That store offers a variety of products
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Item

A whole individual unit; especially when included in a list or collection;
They reduced the price on many items
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Product

An artifact that has been created by someone or some process;
They improve their product every year
They export most of their agricultural production
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Item

A small part that can be considered separately from the whole;
It was perfect in all details
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Product

A consequence of someone's efforts or of a particular set of circumstances;
Skill is the product of hours of practice
His reaction was the product of hunger and fatigue
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Item

An isolated fact that is considered separately from the whole;
Several of the details are similar
A point of information
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Product

A chemical substance formed as a result of a chemical reaction;
A product of lime and nitric acid
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Item

An individual instance of a type of symbol;
The word`error' contains three tokens of `r'
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Product

A quantity obtained by multiplication;
The product of 2 and 3 is 6
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Item

(used when listing or enumerating items) also;
A length of chain, item a hook
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Product

The set of elements common to two or more sets;
The set of red hats is the intersection of the set of hats and the set of red things
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Item

Part of a collection or list.
Each item in the collection was unique.
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Product

A result of manufacturing or creation.
The company released a new product.
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Item

A specific topic or subject.
The next item on the program is a speech.
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Product

Commercial goods or services.
We need to improve our product quality.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries

Can an item be intangible?

Yes, an item can be a tangible object or an intangible concept.
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Do products always have a brand?

Most commercial products have a brand, but it's not a strict requirement.
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Can an item be part of a set?

Yes, items can be individual parts of a larger set or collection.
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Is the term item used in computing?

Yes, item is used in computing, like menu items or data items.
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Dec 29, 2023

Is a product always for sale?

Products are generally created for sale or distribution.
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Can an item have no commercial value?

Yes, items can be purely personal or non-commercial.
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Dec 29, 2023

Are products always physical?

No, products can be physical or digital, like software.
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Dec 29, 2023

Can an item be a task?

Yes, in contexts like a to-do list, an item can be a task.
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Can an item be a piece of news?

Yes, item can refer to a news story or piece of information.
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Is every product an item?

Yes, every product is an item, but not every item is a product.
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Dec 29, 2023

Can an item be a service?

Typically, an item refers to objects, but it can loosely refer to services.
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Dec 29, 2023

Do products have to be manufactured?

Most products are manufactured, but they can also be natural or handcrafted.
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Are products always new?

Products can be new or existing; the term doesn't imply novelty.
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Dec 29, 2023

Is the word item formal or informal?

Item is a neutral term, suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
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Dec 29, 2023

Is product a broader term than item?

Product is more specific, usually associated with commercial goods.
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Is product used in marketing?

Yes, product is a central concept in marketing and commerce.
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Dec 29, 2023

Can products be services?

Yes, in modern usage, services can be considered products.
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Dec 29, 2023

Can an item be a part of a product?

Yes, items can be components or parts of a larger product.
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Dec 29, 2023

Are items always countable?

Items are typically individual and countable.
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Does a product imply innovation?

Not always; products can be innovative or standard.
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Dec 29, 2023

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About Author
Shumaila Saeed
Written by
Shumaila Saeed
Shumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.

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