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.
That could happen if workers secured bigger pay rises to preserve their purchasing power, with businesses in turn raising their prices to maintain their profit margins.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
"It feels like our purchasing power is shrinking. This is the only way to combat that."
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
"In recent years it's become harder, because purchasing power has dropped significantly," said the 49-year-old, who owns the business with her husband.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
The loss in purchasing power from inflation has been real, and painful.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 29, 2026
Their increased purchasing power afforded them summer vacations to the beach or the mountains.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
