aftermarket

noun

af·​ter·​mar·​ket ˈaf-tər-ˌmär-kət 

plural aftermarkets

1

: the market for parts and accessories used in the repair or enhancement of a product (such as an automobile)

2

: a secondary market (see market entry 1 sense 4c(1)) available after sales in the original market are finished

a movie in the DVD aftermarket

3

: the market for a stock following its initial public offering when its shares can be freely traded among investors

Examples of aftermarket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Some of these features were only available as aftermarket upgrades and required complicated installations. — Charles Singh, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026

For now, the aftermarket pays nominal registry fees to officially access the manufacturers’ secure gateways. — New Atlas, 2 Aug. 2026

Look for a sticker on the driver-side window and a small aftermarket button below the dashboard. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 31 July 2026

The efforts come as vehicles have grown increasingly more complex and harder for individual owners or non-automaker certified stores to work on in the aftermarket. — Michael Wayland, CNBC, 27 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

after- + market entry 1

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for aftermarket

• patriarchate
• supermarket
• market
• nonmarket
• premarket
• upmarket