spot market

American

noun

a market in which commodities, as grain, gold, or crude oil, are dealt in for cash and immediate delivery (distinguished from futures market).

spot market British

noun

commerce a market in which commodities, currencies, or securities are traded for immediate delivery Compare forward market

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spot market

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Freight rates are the prices charged to ship goods, and can be assessed on a time charter or in the daily spot market.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Crude-oil tanker rates are mostly set in the spot market.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

For one thing, major American carriers now buy their fuel at the current spot market prices, instead of buying based on futures prices, Taylor said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

Venture Global has said that over 30% of its cargoes this year are available for sale on the spot market.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 7, 2026

The only possible way of making such a contract was by guaranteeing that the spot market should not fall below the price then ruling.

From The Romance and Tragedy by Russell, William Ingraham

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023