The Market
The collective mechanism of exchanging goods, finance, ideas, and culture. Natural, or made to look natural.
How We Say It
thΙ marΒ·kit
Where It Comes From
Latin mercatus β trade, traffic. From merx/mercis β goods, merchandise. Related to Mercury β god of commerce, travel, and communication. 'The market' as an autonomous agent β 'the market decided,' 'the market punished' β is a modern metaphor without ancient precedent.
How It's Been Used
Treating the market as a person with preferences and judgments is the defining rhetorical move of neoliberal economics. 'The market' cannot be argued with, voted against, or held accountable β it simply is. This depoliticizes what are actually choices made by people with power and interests.