bear market

[ bair mahr-kit ]

noun

, Stock Exchange.

1. a financial market characterized by investment prices that are falling or that are forecast to fall. Compare bull market ( def ).

bear market

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of bear market¹

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

The worst bear market in that period will still be fresh in the memories of many investors.

From New York Times

A bull market ends when stocks fall 20 percent below their last high — a period known as a bear market.

From New York Times

That dragged stocks down and pulled the S&P 500 into a bear market in 2022, erasing more than 20 percent of its value from January to October.

From New York Times

A big part of the S&P 500 breaking free of a bear market in 2023, despite lingering concerns about a recession, was due mainly to a runup in various tech stocks.

From Seattle Times

Yet he also believes stocks are in the "early stages" of their recovery after falling into a bear market last year.

From Reuters