white market

noun

1. (in a system of rationing) the buying and selling of unused ration coupons at a fluctuating legal price based on the supply of and demand for the rationed commodity.

Other Words From

• white-market adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of white market¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

“We basically subsidize our white market with our black market,” said the cultivator, who agreed to speak with The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity to avoid possible prosecution.

From Seattle Times

As I explain in my upcoming book “White Market Drugs,” they could only be sold by a licensed pharmacist on a physician’s prescription.

From Salon

He's left the predominantly white market town where he grew up.

From BBC

Why it’s influential: Although Obama had garnered plenty of praise for wearing clothes from retailers like Talbots and White Market Black Market and for championing easy-to-wear sportswear items like denim and cardigan sweaters, her choice to wear a pair of $540 Lanvin sneakers while volunteering at a food bank divided some critics.

From Time

“Becoming a white market economy,” he said, would be “cannabis heaven.”

From Washington Post