open market

American  

noun

1. an unrestricted competitive market in which any buyer and seller is free to participate.

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open market British  

noun

1. 1. a market in which prices are determined by supply and demand, there are no barriers to entry, and trading is not restricted to a specific area

   2. ( as modifier )

      open-market value

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Other Word Forms

• open-market
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of open market

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open market

Under the operations, the Treasury buys older, less active bonds in the open market, and short-term debt takes its place.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026

He appears to have switched from reporting the properties’ assessed values, which are set by the local county, to the loftier estimates of what they would fetch on the open market.

From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026

Most of that is oil which will be shipped to Europe for refining before being sold on the open market.

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

The 443.3 million Intel shares the government acquired for $8.9 billion are currently worth nearly $44 billion on the open market.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026

As the horses pulled them closer, Hannah could distinguish a central open market with stalls, surrounded by stores.

From "The Devil's Arithmetic" by Jane Yolen