open market

American  

noun

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

---

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

---

Other Word Forms

• open-market
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of open market

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

open market

Yet bonds are designed to kick off the same income each year, no matter their price in the open market.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 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

The island’s coveted “beach keys” are typically kept in the family, but when they hit the open market, they command big price tags.

From The Wall Street Journal ● 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

At a stall in an open market, Dicey bought little sandwiches made of flat sausages in biscuits.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt