English

Noun

emerging market ‎(plural emerging markets)

1. (economics, finance, sometimes hyphenated when used attributively) A relatively less-developed country or other trading region undergoing significant growth in production, consumption, or foreign investment.
   • 1998 July 13, Kerry Capell et al., "Emerging Markets: The Winners in a Losing Year," Businessweek (retrieved 10 July 2015):

     And while Brazil's Telebras and South Africa's Anglo American Corp. again rank among the world's top emerging-market groups, their market capitalizations are also down from last year.

   • 2011 July 8, Kenneth Rapoza, "Emerging Market Growth Beats US," Forbes (retrieved 10 July 2015):

     Around 70% of world growth over the next few years will come from emerging markets, with China and India accounting for 40% of that growth.

   • 2012 April 23, Ruchir Sharma, "Hitting the BRIC Wall," Time (retrieved 10 July 2015):

     It's been a long time since the farmers left the "farmhouses" of Delhi, but the word now describes the weekend retreats of the upper class, playgrounds on the fringes of this emerging-market city.

2. (economics, often followed by for) New and increasing demand or consumer purchasing activity (for a product or service).
   • 1987 May 3, Andree Brooks, "Can a Town Set a Minimum House Size?," New York Times (retrieved 10 July 2015):

     [H]is members saw an emerging market for even more luxurious dwellings among those "who would rather pay for amenities instead of space."

   • 2001 Jan. 19, "AOL Time Warner," Washington Post (retrieved 10 July 2015):

     One year ago, when AOL and Time Warner first proposed their merger, . . . there was talk of monopolistic muscle in the emerging markets for high-speed Internet service, instant messaging and interactive television.