market

play

noun, often attributive mar·ket \ ˈmär-kət \

Updated on: 26 Jul 2017

Definition of market

1 a (1) :a meeting together of people for the purpose of trade by private purchase and sale and usually not by auction

(2) :the people assembled at such a meeting

b (1) :a public place where a market is held; especially :a place where provisions are sold at wholesale

a farmers' market

(2) :a retail establishment usually of a specified kind

a fish market

2 archaic :the act or an instance of buying and selling

3 :the rate or price offered for a commodity or security

4 a (1) :a geographic area of demand for commodities or services

sell in the southern market

(2) :a specified category of potential buyers

the youth market

b :the course of commercial activity by which the exchange of commodities is effected :extent of demand

the market is dull

c (1) :an opportunity for selling

a good market for used cars

(2) :the available supply of or potential demand for specified goods or services

the labor market

d :the area of economic activity in which buyers and sellers come together and the forces of supply and demand affect prices

producing goods for market rather than for consumption

— in the market

:in the position of being a potential buyer

in the market for a house

— on the market

:available for purchase; also :up for sale

put their house on the market

See market defined for English-language learners

See market defined for kids

Examples of market in a Sentence

I stopped at the market on the way home for some juice.
They are trying to develop foreign markets for American cotton.
The company sells mainly to the Southern market.
New markets are opening up all over the world.
Advertisers are trying to appeal to the youth market.
targeting a more mature market
a reference work for the educational market

Recent Examples of market from the Web

Across all the markets tested, there were 3.4 percent fewer units available overall.

— alana semuels, The Atlantic, "Trump Administration Puts on Hold an Obama-Era Desegregation Effort," 30 Aug. 2017
Local governments were trying to find ways to incorporate [white Americans] into the job market, and so the solution was [to get] rid of Mexican people because they’re not real Americans.

— araceli cruz, Teen Vogue, "Mexican Repatriation During the Great Depression, Explained," 30 Aug. 2017
Other indirect investments were found to support CoreCivic and GEO Group, other companies with connections to private prisons As of Dec. 2016, the city's pension fund had a market value of assets of $2.22 billion.

— cameron knight, Cincinnati.com, "Cincinnati moves to divest from 'unholy cause' of private prisons," 30 Aug. 2017
But the possibility of the kinds of systemic problems that ripple across global financial markets appears remote.

— neil irwin, The Seattle Times, "Markets signal that Hurricane Harvey won’t crush the economy," 28 Aug. 2017
Warrenton farmers market Saturdays 8 a.m.-noon, 20 N. Fifth St. parking lot, Warrenton.

— Washington Post, "Community events in Fauquier County," 28 Aug. 2017
Though there are more athletic shoes on the market specifically for women, many female players still make do with sneakers made for men, and not just in basketball.

— kelly whiteside, New York Times, "Not a Single W.N.B.A. Star Has a Shoe Line to Call Her Own," 25 Aug. 2017
Germany is a much bigger market than the Netherlands, and the current negotiations may be European academics' best shot at the big flip.

— gretchen vogel, Science | AAAS, "A bold open-access push in Germany could change the future of academic publishing," 23 Aug. 2017
In other words, RuPaul has long been a vivid rebuke to rigid world views, conservative social values, and self-seriousness of all kinds, well before the culture shift that’s opened up a growth market for his message.

— rebecca keegan, vanityfair.com, "RuPaul, Hardest-Working Drag Queen in Show Business, Eyes Emmy Gold," 21 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'market.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of market

Middle English, probably from Continental Germanic; akin to Old Saxon markat marketplace, Old High German marcāt, both ultimately from Latin mercatus trade, marketplace, from mercari to trade, from merc-, merx merchandise

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 12th century

See Words from the same year

market Synonyms

Synonyms

call, demand, request

Related Words

bear market, bull market; buyer's market, seller's market

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

market

verb

Definition of market

transitive verb

1 :to expose for sale in a market

2 :sell

intransitive verb

:to deal in a market

See market defined for English-language learners

Examples of market in a Sentence

The company has spent millions marketing the latest version of its software.
These products are being aggressively marketed to teenagers through television ads.
He markets his wares at craft shows.

Recent Examples of market from the Web

Mark Lund, Chief Executive Officer of marketing company McCann Worldgroup UK, said using a celebrity helps promote an idea or concept that doesn’t have a clear picture attached.

— suzi ring, Bloomberg.com, "U.K. Says Hasta la Vista to PPI With Schwarzenegger Ads," 29 Aug. 2017
The 25-member group will be led by former U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan and marketing agency executive Sherman Wright.

— lolly bowean, chicagotribune.com, "Arne Duncan named co-chair of effort to make sure neighborhoods benefit from Obama Center," 29 Aug. 2017
Before joining Uber, Jones had been marketing chief of Target when a 19-day-long data breach just before Christmas in 2013 sent the giant retailer into brand-damage control.

— mark davis, kansascity, "H&R Block taps former Uber president Jeff Jones as CEO," 22 Aug. 2017
Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has said the company is for sale and cannot compete globally without a tie-up to a bigger partner due to the high costs of developing and marketing vehicles.

— Washington Post, "China’s Great Wall considers bid for Fiat Chrysler Jeep unit," 21 Aug. 2017
According to Michelle Wilson, the company’s chief revenue and marketing officer, the WWE hopes to return to the country for at least one event this year.

— sopan deb, New York Times, "How Jinder Mahal, an Indian WWE Star, Is Turning Up the Heat," 18 Aug. 2017
Bailey replaces marketing executive Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who headed up the Academy through four years of dramatic change.

— rebecca keegan, vanityfair.com, "Meet Your New Academy President," 9 Aug. 2017
That’s what drew Judia Black, a marketing professional from New York, to the village over a decade ago.

— hannah seligson, Town & Country, "Why Sag Harbor Is No Longer the Hamptons' Best-Kept Secret," 4 Aug. 2017
While Palos Park's previous two concerts have been marketed to adults, the next one is meant for the whole family, said Mose Rickey, the village's recreation and parks director.

— madeline galassi, Daily Southtown, "Palos Park to host pet parade, hot dog celebration Thursday," 21 July 2017

Origin and Etymology of market

see ¹market

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

market Synonyms

Synonyms

deal (in), merchandise (also merchandize), put up, retail, sell, vend

Antonyms

buy, purchase

Related Words

presell, wholesale; remarket, resell; hawk, peddle; barter, distribute, exchange, export, handle, trade, traffic (in); advertise, ballyhoo, boost, plug, promote, tout; bargain, chaffer, dicker, haggle, horse-trade, palter; auction; provide, supply; carry, keep, stock

Other Business Terms

amortize, caveat emptor, clearinghouse, divest, due diligence, emolument, green-collar, marque, overhead, perquisite

Financial Definition of MARKET

market

noun

What It Is

A market is a location where buyers and sellers meet to exchange goods and services at prices determined by the forces of supply and demand.

How It Works

A market may be a physical location or a virtual one over a network (for example, the internet). Here, people who have a specific good or service (the supply) they want to sell interact with people who wish to buy it (the demand).

Prices in a market are determined by changes in supply and demand. If market demand is steady, an increase in market supply results in a decline in market prices and vice versa. If market supply is steady, a rise in demand results in a rise in market prices and vice versa. These relationships are demonstrated in the following graphs:

Producers advertise goods and services to consumers in a market in order to generate demand. Also, the term "market" is closely associated with financial assets and securities prices (for example, the stock market or the bond market).

Why It Matters

A market facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers (financial markets) and producers and consumers (consumer goods and services market). Markets experience fluctuations and price shifts resulting from changes in supply and demand. These changes result from fluctuations in many variables including, but not limited to, consumer preferences and perceptions, the availability of materials, and external sociopolitical events (for example, wars, government spending, and unemployment).

Source: Investing Answers

MARKET Defined for English Language Learners

market

play

noun

Definition of market for English Language Learners

: a place where products are bought and sold
: a store where foods and often household items are sold
: an area (such as a country or part of a country) where a product or service can be sold

market

verb

Definition of market for English Language Learners

: to do things that cause people to know about and want to buy (something)
: to offer (something) for sale in a market

MARKET Defined for Kids

market

play

noun mar·ket \ ˈmär-kət \

Definition of market for Students

1 :a public place where people gather to buy and sell things

2 :a store where foods are sold to the public

a meat market

3 :a region in which something can be sold

markets for American cotton

4 :an opportunity for selling something

There's no market for snowplows in Florida.

market

verb

Definition of market for Students

marketed; marketing

:to sell or promote the sale of

The shop markets local vegetables.

Law Dictionary

market

noun mar·ket

legal Definition of market

1 :the rate or price at which a security or commodity is currently selling :market price

2 a :a geographical area of demand for commodities or services

seeking new foreign markets

b :a formal organized system enabling the transaction of business between buyers and sellers of commodities

a futures market

— see also stock market

c :a specified category of potential buyers

the youth market

3 a :the course of commercial activity by which the exchange of commodities is accomplished

the market is quiet

b :an opportunity for selling

developing new markets

c :the available supply of or potential demand for specified goods or services

the labor market

the market for durable goods

d :the area of economic activity in which buyers and sellers come together and the forces of supply and demand affect prices

Learn More about market

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for market Spanish Central: Translation of market Nglish: Translation of market for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of market for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about market

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Origin and Etymology of market

market Synonyms

Synonyms

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Other Business Terms

market

Definition of market

Examples of market in a Sentence

Recent Examples of market from the Web

Origin and Etymology of market

market Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Words

Other Business Terms

Financial Definition of MARKET

What It Is

How It Works

Why It Matters

MARKET Defined for English Language Learners

market

Definition of market for English Language Learners

market

Definition of market for English Language Learners

MARKET Defined for Kids

market

Definition of market for Students

market

Definition of market for Students

Law Dictionary

market

legal Definition of market

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