What does market mean?
A market is a place where people buy and sell goods, but the word also describes the wider business of commerce and the economic system in which prices, demand, and supply interact. In phrases such as the housing market or the stock market, it refers to a particular kind of trading activity or commercial sector. A market can also mean the group of people expected to buy a product: a company may advertise that it is targeting a new market. As a verb, market means to sell, offer for sale, or promote a product or service, usually as part of an organized business effort. The word is neutral and widely used in both formal and informal English. Its range of meanings allows it to connect an ordinary shopping trip with national economies, consumer behavior, and commercial strategy, making it a fundamental term for discussing trade and exchange.
A place where goods are bought and sold; the business or economic activity of trade; or the group of potential customers for a product or service.
"A new market has opened in the center of town."
The noun may denote a physical venue, an economic sector, or an audience of buyers, depending on context.
To sell or offer for sale; to promote a product or service through commercial activity.
"The business markets its products to customers across Europe."
This use is especially common in business, advertising, and publishing contexts.
“Market” is countable when referring to a particular marketplace, commercial sector, or group of buyers. It can also be used in the singular in the abstract sense of commerce as a whole, as in “the market.”
"Several markets have reported increased demand this quarter."
Market comes from the Latin mercātus, “a market,” a word connected to the same root that gave us merchant and merchandise.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does market come from?
The word comes through Old French market from Latin mercātus, “a market,” ultimately associated with mercārī, “to trade,” and merx, “wares” or “goods.” The same broad Latin root underlies cognates including merchant, merchandise, and mercantile. In English, the noun developed from the concrete marketplace into broader economic and commercial senses, while the verb came to mean offering or promoting goods for sale.
Related word forms
How market is actually used
“Market” is neutral in register and can refer to a physical marketplace, a commercial sector, or the economy as a whole. As a verb, it is especially common in business and promotional contexts. The usual British pronunciation is /ˈmɑːkɪt/, while the common US pronunciation is /ˈmɑːrkɪt/.
Easily confused with market
A market is generally a place or system for buying and selling, while a mart is typically a store or building where goods are sold.