disposable income
Americannoun
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the part of a person's income remaining after deducting personal income taxes.
-
(in national income accounting) the total disposable income of all consumers.
noun
-
the money a person has available to spend after paying taxes, pension contributions, etc
-
the total amount of money that the individuals in a community, country, etc, have available to buy consumer goods
Etymology
Origin of disposable income
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
The author of the BCA note, Doug Peta, said that in the early 1980s, the value of equity portfolios and mutual fund holdings was far less than half of households’ disposable income.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
I got there early, and the place was packed with customers who had a sun-kissed glow that only comes with an abundance of spare time and disposable income.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
Millions of American families are left needing to pay more and more to cover their bills, and with less disposable income.
From Salon ● Jul. 26, 2026
And more than anything else, firms and families' spending power is still under pressure, with the latest ONS figures showing disposable income falling.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
My parents never openly discussed their money struggles, but I knew we didn't have disposable income.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
