disposable income

American  

noun

1. the part of a person's income remaining after deducting personal income taxes.

2. (in national income accounting) the total disposable income of all consumers.

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disposable income British  

noun

1. the money a person has available to spend after paying taxes, pension contributions, etc

2. the total amount of money that the individuals in a community, country, etc, have available to buy consumer goods

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Etymology

Origin of disposable income

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disposable income

It may be something attributable to economics, education and disposable income.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026

Here’s a look at the percentage of disposable income that’s going to non-mortgage interest payments for products like credit cards, auto loans and personal loans:

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

United flyers have disposable income and want to spend on experiences, even as prices rise due to higher fuel costs, CFO Mike Leskinen says during a Morgan Stanley conference.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Northern Ireland is in the middle of the pack overall with real disposable income per person of £22,258, marginally below the north west of England.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

My parents never openly discussed their money struggles, but I knew we didn't have disposable income.

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi