purchasing power
Americannoun
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Also called buying power. the ability to purchase goods and services.
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the value of money in terms of what it can buy at a specified time compared to what it could buy at some period established as a base.
the purchasing power of the dollar.
Etymology
Origin of purchasing power
First recorded in 1815–25
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But what about the purchasing power of those savings?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
Gates walks the group through the foundational concept that real estate can act as a hedge against inflation because of the ability to adjust short-term lease rates upward, protecting investors’ purchasing power.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
“In their mind, it’s safe. But it’s really eroding their purchasing power by 3% a year.”
From Barron's • May 30, 2026
Eve symbolized beauty and promised consumers the same results through their purchasing power.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
“Mass purchasing power makes the big difference. For example, breaded veal cutlets.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
