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two-speed

British  

adjective

  1. (of a transmission system) having two settings

  2. (of an economic system) allowing one sector to grow at a faster rate than another

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

“We really are in a two-speed economy,” meaning lower-income people are struggling to pay for essentials such as food and housing while higher-income people are doing OK, Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said recently.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 15, 2025

“Failure to make progress means inequalities will continue to deepen, increasing the risk of a fragmented, two-speed world.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 10, 2023

The two-speed fan is also made almost entirely out of aluminum and comes in one of several colors, rendering it both stylish and durable.

From The Verge • Jul. 22, 2022

He projected Israel's strong economic growth would continue in 2022 but told Prime Minister Naftali Bennett the country faces structural challenges and wide socio-economic gaps due to a "two-speed economy".

From Reuters • Feb. 13, 2022

If the high speed is at normal gear, then at low speed the chain gears up and the two-speed gear gears down; which is, to say the least, a roundabout transmission.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 3, Slice 7 "Bible" to "Bisectrix" by Various

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