market research

¹ American  

noun

1. the gathering and studying of data relating to consumer preferences, purchasing power, etc., especially prior to introducing a product on the market.

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market-research ² American  

[mahr-kit-ree-surch, -ri-surch] / ˈmɑr kɪtˈri sɜrtʃ, -rɪˈsɜrtʃ /

verb (used with object)

1. to conduct market research on.

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market research British  

noun

1. the study of influences upon customer and consumer behaviour and the analysis of market characteristics and trends

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Etymology

Origin of market research¹

First recorded in 1925–30

Origin of market-research²

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

That shift is already large enough to show up in market research.

From Barron's • Apr. 11, 2026

“These verdicts mark an unsurprising breaking point. Negative sentiment toward social media has been building for years, and now it’s finally boiled over,” said Mike Proulx, a director at Forrester, a market research company.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

U.S. companies spent an estimated $23.5 billion on call and contact center outsourcing in 2025, according to market research firm Precedence Research.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

“The core driver is a rapidly worsening memory supply crunch,” market research firm Counterpoint Research said in a recent report.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

Wall Street firms—most notably Bear Stearns and Lehman Brothers—continued to publish bond market research reaffirming the strength of the market.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis