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

Defense stocks were down an average of 20% since the war began, entering bear market territory, after being up 77% in the prior 12 months.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

Defense stocks were down an average of 20% since the war began, entering bear market territory, after being up 77% in the prior 12 months.

From Barron's • Jun. 15, 2026

It’s been 91 days since gold hit its recent peak — making for the quickest entry into a bear market since 2008.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026

Gold futures entered a bear market at Wednesday’s settlement — meaning they’ve fallen 20% or more from their recent high back in March.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 10, 2026

It was definitely a bear market for UFO's.

From The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects by Ruppelt, Edward J.