market value

American  

noun

1. the value of a business, property, etc., in terms of what it can be sold for on the open market; current value (book value ).

2. market price.

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market value British  

noun

1. the amount obtainable on the open market for the sale of property, financial assets, or goods and services Compare par value book value

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Etymology

Origin of market value

First recorded in 1685–95

Compare meaning

How does market-value compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• par value vs. market value

Example Sentences

These days, when Wilkinson looks back on her past, she sees it for what it’s worth—in terms of lessons learned and, of course, market value.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 3, 2026

The group has a combined market value north of $100 billion, or roughly 26 times estimated 2026 sales.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

If you take your money out of a Treasury early, you simply get back the current market value.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Unilever has a market value of more than $130 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

The company had $100 million in cash in the bank, was still generating $100 million a year of free cash flow—and had a market value of only $250 million!

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis