purchasing power

American  

noun

1. Also called buying power. the ability to purchase goods and services.

2. 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.

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Etymology

Origin of purchasing power

First recorded in 1815–25

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

purchasing power

The cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, is one of the biggest perks of Social Security, because it provides inflation protection so that retirees’ purchasing power isn’t diminished over their retirements.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 29, 2026

Naomi Baker from influencer marketing agency We Are Social says older creators are attractive to brands as they often have "deeply established, highly loyal" communities with greater purchasing power, which "carries a massive premium".

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

Because wages rose more slowly than prices, average earners saw a reduction of 0.5% in their purchasing power last month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

However, Brazilians complain about a loss of purchasing power and authorities are concerned about rising household debt.

From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026

All of my research on Muslim purchasing power indicated that if we created a product that appealed to and satisfied the needs of Muslim consumers, the company would be successful.

From "Proud" by Ibtihaj Muhammad

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