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.
It should defend the purchasing power of the dollar.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 6, 2026
“In their mind, it’s safe. But it’s really eroding their purchasing power by 3% a year.”
From Barron's • May 30, 2026
Even a small change in mortgage rates can affect a buyer’s purchasing power.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
Eve symbolized beauty and promised consumers the same results through their purchasing power.
From Salon • May 17, 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.
