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.
“In their mind, it’s safe. But it’s really eroding their purchasing power by 3% a year.”
From Barron's • May 30, 2026
Incomes have grown faster than home prices, giving buyers a little more purchasing power.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026
Eve symbolized beauty and promised consumers the same results through their purchasing power.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
If paychecks don’t offer the purchasing power they used to, workers may look for better-paying jobs.
From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026
The day he learned that he was terminally ill was the day he lost interest in his purchasing power.
From "Tuesdays with Morrie" by Mitch Albom
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.
