emerging market

English

Etymology

Popularized by the International Finance Corporation, early 1980s.

Noun

emerging market (plural emerging markets)

1. (economics, finance, also attributive) 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”, in 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”, in 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”, in 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.

   • 2022 November 15, Lisa O'Carroll, “Cheesemaker sells firm to overcome Brexit barriers after losing £600,000 in sales”, in The Guardian‎^[1]:

     Government departments advised him to seek out new business in “emerging markets”, counsel he said was risible given the huge market on Britain’s doorstep.

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?”, in 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 January 19, “AOL Time Warner”, in 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.

See also

• BRIC

Further reading

• “emerging market”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.