SKIP TO CONTENT

Wall Street

/ˌwɔl ˈstrit/
/wɔl strit/
IPA guide

Wall Street is a street in New York City's Lower Manhattan, and it's also the collective name for the U.S. financial markets and financial services industry that's historically been located there.

Not every investment bank and brokerage that's part of Wall Street has Wall Street as part of its address. Many of these businesses and services aren't even located in New York, but they're still part of the finance industry referred to as Wall Street. The eight-block street itself probably got its name from a protective wooden wall built by Dutch settlers, and after the Civil War, Wall Street became the financial center of the country.

Definitions of Wall Street
  1. noun
    a street in lower Manhattan where the New York Stock Exchange is located; symbol of American finance
    synonyms: Wall St.
    see moresee less
    example of:
    street
    a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
  2. noun
    used to allude to the securities industry of the United States
    synonyms: the Street
    see moresee less
    type of:
    market, securities industry
    the securities markets in the aggregate
Cite this entry
Style:
MLA
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago

Copy citation
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘Wall Street'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Word Family