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.
Oil services stocks experienced a bear market cycle in 2024, noting the VanEck Oil Services ETF (OIH) lost roughly 12%, which stands in contrast to a gain of 23% for the S & P 500 . Katie Stockton, CNBC, 10 Feb. 2025 But the stock cast a pall on the realities of the situation, again a bear market phenomenon. Jim Cramer, CNBC, 19 Jan. 2025 This is mostly because the three-year lookback lands at the exact peak of the market preceding the 2022 bear market, a particularly unflattering start point. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 11 Jan. 2025 First, in 2001, 2008 and 2019, these peaks were hit after a bear market had already begun. Michael Foster, Forbes, 3 Jan. 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 27 Feb. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!