ICT Glossary
Every ICT trading term in one place. Definitions link to full guides where available.
- BOS (Break of Structure)
- A confirmed break of the prior swing high/low signalling trend continuation.
- CHoCH (Change of Character)
- The first opposing swing break that hints trend may be reversing.
- Displacement
- A strong, aggressive expansion candle series that typically leaves imbalance behind.
- Equal Highs / Lows
- Matching swing points sitting as obvious liquidity pools above/below price.
- Fair Value Gap (FVG)
- A 3-candle imbalance where price left an inefficient gap likely to be revisited.
- Inverse FVG (IFVG)
- An FVG that failed to hold and now acts as resistance/support in the opposite direction.
- Judas Swing
- A false push at the London or NY open designed to grab liquidity before the real move.
- Killzone
- High-probability session windows (London, NY AM, NY PM, Asia) where ICT setups form.
- Liquidity Sweep
- A wick that runs stops above highs / below lows before reversing.
- MSS (Market Structure Shift)
- Internal structure break that precedes a full BOS; earliest reversal signal.
- OTE (Optimal Trade Entry)
- The 62–79% Fib retracement of an impulse leg used as an entry zone.
- Order Block (OB)
- The last opposing candle before a displacement move; acts as institutional demand/supply.
- PDH / PDL
- Prior Day High / Prior Day Low — key daily liquidity references.
- Power of Three (PO3)
- Accumulation → Manipulation → Distribution daily/weekly cycle.
- Silver Bullet
- A 1-hour ICT window (10–11 AM / 2–3 PM NY) targeting FVGs after a liquidity run.
- SMT Divergence
- Correlated assets (NQ vs ES) failing to make matching highs/lows — signals hidden strength/weakness.
- Smart Money Concepts (SMC)
- Framework built around institutional order flow, liquidity and structure.
- Turtle Soup
- A false breakout reversal setup that fades the sweep of prior highs/lows.
- Unicorn Model
- Breaker block + overlapping FVG confluence entry model.