bear market

noun

: a market in which securities or commodities are persistently declining in value compare bull market

Examples of bear market in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Nasdaq, which entered a bear market on April 4, is down 11% since Trump’s inauguration. John Towfighi, CNN Money, 29 Apr. 2025 Nine of the past 14 bear markets since World War II have been followed by recessions within an average of six months, according to analyses by CFRA Research, an investment research firm, and Moody’s Analytics, an economic research company. Paul Davidson, USA Today, 29 Apr. 2025 The group exited bear market territory but is 19.8% below the mid-December all-time high. Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025 Concerns that Trump's aggressive trade policies will start a recession have hammered financials in recent weeks, pushing the KBW Bank Index into a bear market decline of 20% from its post-election high. Gabrielle Fonrouge,annika Kim Constantino,leslie Josephs,ari Levy,amelia Lucas,melissa Repko,hugh Son,michael Wayland, CNBC, 23 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for bear market

Word History

Etymology

bear entry 1 (one that sells in expectation of a price decline)

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bear market was in 1858

Cite this Entry

“Bear market.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bear%20market. Accessed 4 May. 2025.

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