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.

---

bear market Cultural  

1. A market, especially a stock market, characterized by falling prices; the opposite of a bull market.

---

Etymology

Origin of bear market

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

Parets, a market technician and founder of TrendLabs, said in Wednesday commentary that it suggested a bear market for stocks has been cancelled.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

The market’s biggest stocks are also on sale, with an index of the so-called Magnificent Seven tech giants now approaching bear market status, having fallen more than 17% from the all-time highs of late October.

From Barron's • Mar. 30, 2026

Typically, a 20% drop is considered the definition of a bear market.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 27, 2026

While they’ve typically begun a descent into a bear market earlier than large-caps and suffered worse overall declines, they rebound more powerfully, too.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 26, 2026

He was a bull in a bear market; and the more he lost the more he thought the inevitable "rally" in prices was due.

From The Tipster 1901, From "Wall Street Stories" by Lefevre, Edwin