Did you know?

Click any word in a definition or example to find the entry for that word

black market

 - definition
Close

What are red words?

90% of the time, speakers of English use just 7,500 words in speech and writing. These words appear in red, and are graded with stars. One-star words are frequent, two-star words are more frequent, and three-star words are the most frequent.

Close

Thesaurus

The thesaurus of synonyms and related words is fully integrated into the dictionary entries. Click on the T button in an entry to review the synonyms and related words for that meaning.

more
noun [singular] economics American English pronunciation: black market 
Word Forms
Close
singularblack market
pluralblack markets
  1. the illegal buying and selling of goods, especially when it is difficult or expensive to obtain them legally

    There’s a thriving black market in vodka and cigarettes.

    on the black market:

    Rhino horns can fetch up to $5,000 on the black market.

derived word

black marketeer

 American English pronunciation: black marketeer  noun [countable]
Word Forms
Close
singularblack marketeer
pluralblack marketeers

vocal fry

a speech habit in which a speaker lowers their voice at the end of a sentence

BuzzWord Article

Word of the Day Word of the Day

simile

a phrase that describes something by comparing it to something else using the word...

Open Dictionary

conflict mineral

a mineral which is mined in a place where there is armed conflict, and sold to help pay for weapons

add a word

Blog

A must for anyone with an interest in the changing face of language. The Macmillan Dictionary blog explores English as it is spoken around the world today.

global English and language change from our blog