street value: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
mediuminformal, journalistic
Quick answer
What does “street value” mean?
The monetary worth of an item, especially illegal drugs, on the black market or in illicit transactions.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The monetary worth of an item, especially illegal drugs, on the black market or in illicit transactions.
Informally, can refer to the perceived worth or price of any good in an unofficial, unregulated, or opportunistic market context, sometimes implying a higher price due to scarcity or demand outside official channels.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. The phrase is used identically in both varieties.
Connotations
Identical connotations of illegality and black market trade in both dialects.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British media, but widely understood and used in both.
Grammar
How to Use “street value” in a Sentence
The (drugs) have a street value of (sum).Police seized (drugs) with a street value of (sum).The street value of (item) is (sum).Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used in legitimate business. Appears in risk reports discussing the economic impact of illicit trade.
Academic
Used in criminology, sociology, and economics papers analysing illegal markets.
Everyday
Used in news reports and informal discussions about police drug seizures.
Technical
Used in law enforcement and forensic contexts when assessing the scale of illegal drug operations.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “street value”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “street value”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “street value”
- Using it for the legal retail price of ordinary goods. (Incorrect: 'The street value of this smartphone is high.')
- Confusing it with 'market value', which is a legitimate economic term.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is highly unconventional and generally incorrect. The phrase is intrinsically linked to illicit trade, especially drugs. For legal items, use 'market value' or 'retail price'.
Yes, it represents the final price paid by the end-user on the black market, which includes all mark-ups and dealer profit margins from the point of importation or manufacture.
It is used to quantify the scale and economic impact of a drug seizure in terms the public can easily understand, making the police operation seem more significant than just citing weight alone.
No, there is no standard verb form derived from this noun phrase. One would say 'estimate the street value of' something.
The monetary worth of an item, especially illegal drugs, on the black market or in illicit transactions.
Street value is usually informal, journalistic in register.
Street value: in British English it is pronounced /striːt ˈvæljuː/, and in American English it is pronounced /strit ˈvælju/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None directly; it functions as a fixed noun phrase.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a price tag hanging on a lamppost in a dark alley—that's the 'street value,' the price you'd actually pay in that unofficial, risky setting.
Conceptual Metaphor
THE BLACK MARKET IS A PARALLEL ECONOMY (where 'street' metonymically stands for the illegal trading environment).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'street value' most appropriately used?