over the counter

¹

adverb

1. not transacted through an organized securities exchange; directly to the buyer or from the seller.

   He sold his stocks over the counter.

2. Pharmacology.,  without a doctor's prescription but within the law.

over-the-counter

²

[oh-ver-thuh-koun-ter]

adjective

1. unlisted on or not part of an organized securities exchange: OTC

   over-the-counter stocks; the over-the-counter market.

2. Pharmacology.,  sold legally without a doctor's prescription: OTC

   over-the-counter drugs.

over-the-counter

adjective

1. 1. (of securities) not listed or quoted on a stock exchange

   2. (of a security market) dealing in such securities

   3. (of security transactions) conducted through a broker's office directly between purchaser and seller and not on a stock exchange

2. OTC. (of medicinal drugs) able to be sold without a prescription Compare ortho-

Word History and Origins

Origin of over the counter¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Origin of over the counter²

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Their stint in the private equity business—in which firms buy and sell entire companies over the counter—led them to believe that private stock markets might be more efficient than public ones.

Read more on Literature

"There are lots of things, like painkillers or anti-nausea tablets, you can buy over the counter that may be helpful to manage headaches" says Dr Munro.

Read more on BBC

Some hearing aids are now available over the counter.

Read more on MarketWatch

While drugs sold in U.S. pharmacies or over the counter typically don’t say “made in China,” the country often supplies active pharmaceutical ingredients in the drugs or precursor chemicals used to make those active ingredients.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In many countries, including the U.S., melatonin supplements can be purchased over the counter.

Read more on Science Daily