front running

noun

The illegal practice of a stockbroker who, on receiving a large client order, places an order for his or her own account ahead of the client's, knowing that when the client's order is placed it will move the market and create a profit for the broker.

Similar

Meanings

nounfront running (uncountable)

alternative front-running · alternative frontrunning

  1. uncountablebusinessThe illegal practice of a stockbroker who, on receiving a large client order, places an order for his or her own account ahead of the client's, knowing that when the client's order is placed it will move the market and create a profit for the broker.

    The charges stem from an investigation into the front-running of block trades . . . a practice in which a trader takes a position to capitalize on advance knowledge of a transaction large enough to influence the price of securities.

    2012 October 1, Ben Moshinsky, “Four Charged for in U.K. FSA Insider-Trading Probe”, in Business Week, retrieved 19 May 2014
  2. uncountablebusinessThe illegal practice of placing orders for a security on one's own account in advance of promoting or recommending it.
  3. uncountablebusinessAny practice of buying something the value of which is about to increase due to a future purchase by another, especially where the knowledge derives from a fiduciary relationship.
verb

alternative front-running · alternative frontrunning

  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of front run

    Synonyms: tailgating

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see

Translations

Polish ustawianie się
  • ustawianie sięTranslations
Spanish inversión ventajista, compra ventajera
  • inversión ventajistaTranslations
  • compra ventajeraTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

front running. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/front%20running

MLA

“front running.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/front%20running. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “front running,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/front%20running.

Source: front running on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.