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the Street

the Street

4 4.7
The banks and companies on Wall Street that buy and sell stocks and bonds in the United States
  • noun
  • Jargon
translation icon : la Calle
  • After analyzing the trends, the CEO decided to adjust their strategy to meet the expectations of the Street.
  • beat the Street
  • Man on the Street
  • Woman on the Street

Examples

  • The investment firm presented its quarterly results, surprising the Street by exceeding profit predictions.

  • It seems like the Street sees more upside than the pundits or the people on this board.

    Blog text (7)
  • Looking ahead, the company's full-year earnings guidance came in slightly below the Street's expectation of $4.07 per share, in the range of $4.04-$4.07 per share, though we think CEO Meg Whitman may be setting low hurdles to exceed earnings.

    Blog text (31)
  • With many companies facing challenges, there are fewer investors active on the Street today.

Synonyms

Wall Street
vsthe Street
  • Literature
546 2.7

The US financial industry, especially banks and investment firms in New York

is about the securities industry nationwide seen as a financial community
high finance
vsthe Street
3 6.2

Large, complicated money deals that happen between big banks, companies, and governments

refers to the securities industry as a whole rather than only huge complex deals

How Influential

powerhouse
57 4.5
the Street
  • Jargon
4 4.7
investment firm
  • Specialized
19 3.4
broker-dealer
  • Specialized
3 6.1

Surface Forms

the Street singular
the Streets plural

Morphology

the + Street

The phrase 'the Street' is a metonymic, culture-specific use (derived from 'Wall Street') referring to the securities/financial industry; the literal words 'the' and 'street' (article + road) do not convey that industry meaning. A B1 learner who only knows the constituent words would not reliably infer this specialized, idiomatic sense without exposure to the cultural reference, so it is opaque.

Etymology

The Street comes from the real Street in New York where banks, brokers and traders worked, called Wall Street. Because the people there set prices and shared news, the Street now means the whole 'financial community'.