market

noun, often attributive

mar·ket | \ ˈmär-kət

Definition of market

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a(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

4a(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

market

verb

marketed; marketing; markets

Definition of market (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1 : to expose for sale in a market

2 : sell

intransitive verb

: to deal in a market

Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about market

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Synonyms & Antonyms for market

Synonyms: Noun

call, demand, request

Synonyms: Verb

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

Antonyms: Verb

buy, purchase

Examples of market in a Sentence

Noun

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

Verb

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 on the Web: Noun

The commercial property data group CoStar said rents at the bottom of the market are on track to rise the most quickly. — R.a. Schuetz, Houston Chronicle, "Vacancy rates for workforce apartments near a 20-year low," 16 July 2019 But in San Francisco’s tight labor market, companies are increasingly offering support to employees on the cusp of parenting. — Taylor Kate Brown, SFChronicle.com, "Bay Briefing: Man beats cancer, only to face another health crisis," 15 July 2019 Fast shipping and killer sales likely have something to do with the fact that, as of last year, the digital powerhouse reportedly controlled a whopping 36% of the U.S. cosmetics market, according to Bloomberg. — Thatiana Diaz, refinery29.com, "These Amazon Prime Day Makeup Deals Should NOT Be Missed," 15 July 2019 Damage was also caused to the roof of the market when the driver tried to pull away with the lines still attached to the truck. — Brian Lisik, cleveland.com, "Trucker pulls down power lines at market: Hinckley Township Police Blotter," 15 July 2019 And even if competitors start selling at cost or are driven out of the market, Uber still must sell below cost, to compete with public transit and private cars. — James P. Sutton, National Review, "Are the Uber and Lyft Bubbles about to Burst?," 12 July 2019 Food, live entertainment, vendors, clothing, fresh produce, meat, art, the community garden, and much more are a part of the weekly market. — Quoron Walker, courant.com, "Spruce Street Market Returns," 11 July 2019 For example, some of your colleagues might have been hired during a tight labor market and, as a result, were able to negotiate higher starting salaries. — Johnny C. Taylor Jr., USA TODAY, "Woman seeks answers for equal pay: Ask HR," 9 July 2019 The association boasts a membership of more than 350 and represents 90% of Germany's publishing market. — Wolfgang Spahr, Billboard, "German Music Publishers Association Ups Birgit Böcher to Managing Director," 8 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Gold has painstakingly organized this miniature online museum by decade and year, allowing visitors to scroll through and see how Apple marketed itself over the years. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Check out this incredible archive of Apple’s promotional photos and ads," 14 July 2019 One that pops up from time to time, called Isagenix, markets itself as a solution for weight loss, as well as a booster of performance, vitality, and well-being. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "What Is the Isagenix Cleanse—and Can It Help You Lose Weight?," 2 July 2019 The organization acquires vacant land and properties and markets them to those interested in renovation or new builds. — Emily Bamforth, cleveland.com, "Cuyahoga Land Bank begins to see ‘needle move’ in weakest housing markets: By the numbers," 26 June 2019 The Nielsen data include Sparkling Ice, a carbonated beverage with the same artificial sweetener as diet sodas that markets itself as sparkling water. — Jennifer Maloney, WSJ, "LaCroix Fights Sales Drop as Rivals Bubble Up," 26 June 2019 The ties in good condition could be sold to large companies such as Lowes, which market them as landscaping borders for homeowners. — John Tuohy, Indianapolis Star, "Removing the Nickel Plate railroad tracks is a heavy lift. Like hauling away the Brooklyn Bridge.," 21 June 2019 Weaver echoed others' statements that America is changing, and bourbon brands that market only to the white male population will just hurt themselves in the long run. — Bailey Loosemore, The Courier-Journal, "'We can't forget': Kentucky is (slowly) recognizing the role of slaves in bourbon's legacy," 27 June 2019 It was maintained in a database and marketed by a software company called Tableau. — oregonlive.com, "Former Multnomah County analyst files federal whistleblower suit," 27 June 2019 The state, using a private company, would then purchase the medicines from Canada and sell them to participating pharmacies that would then market them to consumers. — Dena Bunis, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Another state moves toward allowing prescription drugs to be imported to save consumers money," 18 June 2019

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.

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Last Updated

19 Jul 2019

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The first known use of market was in the 12th century

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More Definitions for market

market

noun

Financial Definition of market

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

noun