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

See Examples For:

bear market

There are also complicating factors such as so-called sequence-of-return risk, which refers to how the outcomes vary depending on whether a bear market in stocks hits soon after you retire.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

There’s a stage in every bitcoin bear market when people stop asking me whether they should buy.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026

“The current Bitcoin bear market is getting a little long in the tooth,” says Zach Pandl of Grayscale Research in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

But the problem Edwards anticipates is that, while stretched equity valuations themselves may not trigger a bear market, they render markets highly susceptible to bad news.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 20, 2026

Truth is, Mr. Welborn, I'm not posted on the bear market.

From David Lannarck, Midget An Adventure Story by George S. Harney