disposable income

American

noun

the part of a person's income remaining after deducting personal income taxes.
(in national income accounting) the total disposable income of all consumers.

disposable income British

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Real disposable income fell 0.1%—the second straight month of declines, according to data released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis on Thursday.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

Vehicle prices soared in response, and buyers—who either had the disposable income to spend or lacked other transit options during lockdowns—were willing to pay up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 26, 2026

The advertising-driven systemization of narrowcasting succeeded on the basis of exclusion, and the advertisers pursuing the disposable income of The Youth were not about to let TV networks give them something everyone could enjoy.

From Salon • Apr. 25, 2026

“Expressed as a percentage of disposable income, it’s never been more economical to travel by air,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 21, 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