rent-seeking
or rent seek·ing
[ rent-see-king ]
nounEconomics.
the act or process of using one’s assets and resources to increase one’s share of existing wealth without creating new wealth.
(specifically) the act or process of exploiting the political process or manipulating the economic environment to increase one’s revenue or profits: Rent-seeking by lobbyists succeeded in obtaining favorable tariff treatment for the company’s exports.
Origin of rent-seeking
1First recorded in 1970–75; (economic) rent + seeking
Other words from rent-seeking
- rent-seeker, noun
Words Nearby rent-seeking
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rent-seeking in a sentence
Our regulatory structures too often encourage deindustrialization and rent-seeking.
Bastiat was also wise enough to anticipate what modern economists call "rent seeking" and "rent avoidance" behavior.
The Law | Frdric Bastiat
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