disposable income
Americannoun
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the part of a person's income remaining after deducting personal income taxes.
-
(in national income accounting) the total disposable income of all consumers.
noun
-
the money a person has available to spend after paying taxes, pension contributions, etc
-
the total amount of money that the individuals in a community, country, etc, have available to buy consumer goods
Etymology
Origin of disposable income
First recorded in 1945–50
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.
And more than anything else, firms and families' spending power is still under pressure, with the latest ONS figures showing disposable income falling.
From BBC ● Jul. 11, 2026
With elevated prices at the pump, many households are being left with less disposable income to spend in shops and restaurants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
With the wealth effect from Americans’ vast holdings of stocks — at a record 250% of disposable income based on Federal Reserve flow-of-funds data — rising stock prices have been driving consumer spending.
From MarketWatch ● May 21, 2026
"Tourism relies on people's disposable income," he explains.
From BBC ● May 1, 2026
My parents never openly discussed their money struggles, but I knew we didn't have disposable income.
From "Americanized" by Sara Saedi
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.
