# black market

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Trade that is in violation of restrictions, rationing, or price controls.
2. The people who engage in such trade, or that sector of the economy.

## Etymology
Ca. 1930, probably a calque of German Schwarzmarkt, which is attested from the 1910s. Compare Schwärzer (“smuggler”, 18th c.).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/black-market