bear market

American  

[bair mahr-kit] / ˈbɛər ˈmɑr kɪt /

noun

Stock Exchange.

1. a financial market characterized by investment prices that are falling or that are forecast to fall.

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bear market Cultural  

1. A market, especially a stock market, characterized by falling prices; the opposite of a bull market.

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Etymology

Origin of bear market

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The worst monthly showing for the S&P 500 index in a year — and the worst first-quarter performance since 2022, when a punishing bear market was just getting underway.

From MarketWatch

A close at or below that price, which is 20% below its Jan. 6 record close, would mean to many that the stock has entered a bear market.

From MarketWatch

The market’s biggest stocks are also on sale, with an index of the so-called Magnificent Seven tech giants now approaching bear market status, having fallen more than 17% from the all-time highs of late October.

From Barron's

Despite gold’s recent foray into bear market territory, the macro case for buying the commodity remains solid, according to a strategist for a $1.5 billion Houston investment firm.

From MarketWatch

A bear market is defined as a drop of 20% or more from a recent peak.

From MarketWatch