A “seller’s market” is a market where demand exceeds available supply, typically allowing sellers to charge more or sell more easily. The phrase describes an imbalance favoring sellers; it does not guarantee that every seller or item will achieve a higher price.
ReviewedEvidence1 sourceSectionPhrases & Idioms
Quick answer
A “seller’s market” is a market where demand exceeds available supply, typically allowing sellers to charge more or sell more easily.
Key details
Canonical Formseller’s market
Core Meaninga market with fewer goods for sale than buyers want, typically strengthening sellers’ pricing position
Further guidance
History Boundary
Current dictionary-supported meaning is published without asserting an exact inventor, coinage date, or absolute first use.
Meaning
a market with fewer goods for sale than buyers want, typically strengthening sellers’ pricing position
Usage Boundary
The phrase describes an imbalance favoring sellers; it does not guarantee that every seller or item will achieve a higher price.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
A “buyer’s market” is a market where supply exceeds buyer demand, typically giving buyers more bargaining power and keeping prices lower. It can apply in housing and other markets; the phrase describes the balance between supply and demand rather than guaranteeing a particular price outcome.
A “bull market” is a period in which share prices or financial investments are generally rising. The term describes a broad market condition; do not use it for a single asset rising briefly or claim a universal numeric threshold from this dictionary definition.
An “economic moat” is a durable competitive advantage that helps protect a company from rivals over an extended period. Morningstar also uses formal moat ratings with its own methodology; do not treat every casual claim that a business has a moat as equivalent to a specific Morningstar rating.
In corporate finance, a “poison pill” is a defensive measure a company uses to make a hostile takeover less attractive or harder to complete. The guide treats it as a specialized current business term rather than inventing an origin story.
A “price war” is aggressive price competition in which rivals repeatedly lower prices. The guide keeps current meaning separate from unsupported origin claims.
A “race to the bottom” describes competitive pressure that pushes participants toward ever-lower costs or standards. The guide keeps current meaning separate from unsupported origin claims.
A “bear market” is a period in which financial-market investments are generally falling in value. The dictionary definition does not require one universal percentage threshold, so do not make a fixed numeric cutoff part of the core meaning.
Consolidated Market Data is a current Regulation NMS defined term for enumerated data consolidated across national securities exchanges and associations.
