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

"When disposable income falls, our businesses suffer. And right now, people have a lot less disposable income."

From BBC • May 1, 2026

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

For now, that means families with some level of disposable income are making constant trade-offs and negotiations about where and how to spend.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 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

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

From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi