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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

purchasing power

The research firm forecasts global smartphone shipments will fall 14.3% amid rising component costs and weaker consumer purchasing power.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

In their worldview, a family’s shrinking purchasing power is primarily evidence of bad character.

From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026

But weakening domestic sales are pushing manufacturers like Zhang to seek fatter margins abroad, where consumers have more purchasing power.

From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026

She posited that the value of a currency should reflect its purchasing power and the best way to assess this was to use one “perfect universal commodity” — the Big Mac.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 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