gray market

noun

: a market employing irregular but not illegal methods
especially : a market that legally circumvents authorized channels of distribution to sell goods at prices lower than those intended by the manufacturer

Examples of gray market in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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There are also active gray markets on Chinese apps and e-commerce platforms in Southeast Asia, where popular and rare dolls sell at several times their original prices. Lionel Lim, Fortune Asia, 20 Dec. 2024 That said, even though the American magazine tested the car, U.S. buyers would never be able to buy a 288 GTO direct from Ferrari; all imports were handled through the gray market. Will Sabel Courtney, Robb Report, 11 Dec. 2024 Of course, some gray markets use bitcoin in the West, too, where industries may be legal, but the banks frown on them, like marijuana sales in some states and countries and things like that. Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024 Sans introduced the elephant in the room — the gray market — which has fueled revenues for independent retailers for the past 10 years. Martino Carrera, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019 See all Example Sentences for gray market 

Word History

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gray market was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near gray market

Cite this Entry

“Gray market.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gray%20market. Accessed 5 Jan. 2025.

Legal Definition

gray market

noun
: a market employing irregular but not illegal methods
especially : a market that legally circumvents authorized channels of distribution to sell goods at prices lower than those intended by the manufacturer

More from Merriam-Webster on gray market

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