Re: Be in the market (for something)

Posted by Tim Luo on 2006/12/10 10:16:06

The idiom on the market means available for people to buy. In the old days you could also say in the market to refer to the same thing. But in contemporary English, in the market simply means a person is interested in buying something.

The following examples are from Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Online.


The manufacturers say the device will be on the market by May.

Handguns are freely available on the open market (=for anyone to buy).

They knew it wasn't a good time to sell their house, but they still put it on the market (=offered it for sale).

a revolutionary new drug that has just come onto the market

! Do not say 'in the market'. Say on the market.


Tim