aftermarket
Americannoun
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the market for replacement parts, accessories, and equipment for the care or enhancement of the original product, especially an automobile, after its sale to the consumer.
The company holds a large share in the automotive radio aftermarket.
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any additional market created by a product after the primary market.
Television is the perfect aftermarket for old movies.
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Stock Exchange. secondary market.
Usage
What does aftermarket mean? An aftermarket is a market for parts, accessories, or equipment used to maintain or improve an existing product, usually relating to machinery, especially automobiles. The aftermarket is a market for goods that can be used to repair, improve, or change a product that was already made on a primary, or standard, market. For example, when you buy a replacement power cable for your laptop from a company other than the computer manufacturer, you’re buying it on the aftermarket. Aftermarket is often paired with parts, as in The aftermarket parts for my car are actually of a better quality than the original parts. In the context of a stock exchange, aftermarket is used to mean a secondary market. The secondary market is the situation where investors buy and sell shares that are already owned. In contrast, the primary market is the situation where a company first sells its shares to investors. Before that, the company was owned privately. National markets like the New York Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ are aftermarkets. Example: Because her new car didn’t come with good-quality speakers, Libby searched the aftermarket for better speakers.
Etymology
Origin of aftermarket
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Aftermarket business is generally higher-margin and more stable.
From Barron's • Jun. 11, 2026
“ARB’s calendar year-to-date sales remain below the prior corresponding period, impacted by inconsistent manufacturer supply and elevated fuel prices, which will weigh on demand for ARB’s Australian Aftermarket operations in 2H26,” says analyst James Casey.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 4, 2026
Aftermarket decals for steering wheels can be found from numerous third-party sellers online — including on sites like Amazon, Etsy, Shein, Temu and Walmart.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 6, 2023
Aftermarket services, a lucrative business for planemakers, is also expected to boost results in 2023.
From Reuters • Feb. 9, 2023
Aftermarket prices soared into the thousands—even tens of thousands—per ticket.
From Slate • Nov. 17, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
