short sale investment & finance definition

The sale of a security that must be borrowed to make delivery. Short sales usually, but not always, entail the sale of securities that are not owned by the seller in anticipation of profiting from a decline in the price of the securities. A short sale is not permitted when the last preceding different price was higher than the current price. Also called selling short, short. See also fictitious credit, ghost stock, lending at a premium, lending at a rate, odd-lot short sales, Rule 10a-1, short against the box, short cover, synthetic short sale.