anti-growth

adjective

an·​ti-growth ˌan-tē-ˈgrōth How to pronounce anti-growth (audio)
ˌan-tī-
: opposed to, inhibiting, or resistant to growth
especially : opposed to economic development
anti-growth measures
… voters this September tossed out a coalition of anti-growth members who have long blocked roadbuilding on ideological grounds. Gregg Easterbrook

Examples of anti-growth in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While some CEOs of major AI companies speculate that AI will destroy millions of jobs in the U.S., just in the next five years, and anti-growth factions oppose critical AI infrastructure, like data centers, the positive case for AI has been criminally underrepresented in the public debate. Jessica Melugin, Mercury News, 10 June 2026 Kathy Hochul has a chance to block the anti-growth data center moratorium. June 8, 2026 at 3:38 p.m. EDT Even the Knicks can’t distract New York politicians from trying to throttle economic growth. Editorial Board, Washington Post, 8 June 2026 Either way, the president’s tariff policy is decidedly anti-growth and is making the country poorer. Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026 Many don’t want to seem anti-growth, especially as the Trump administration promotes fossil fuels and artificial intelligence. Claire Hao, Houston Chronicle, 24 Mar. 2026 Whether through trade or regulatory policies, the Trump Administration is pursuing a decidedly anti-growth policy agenda. Wayne Winegarden, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025 Calling for sustainable growth in Middle Tennessee Headline:Coffee County residents are not anti-growth. David Plazas, Nashville Tennessean, 8 Apr. 2025 According to the National Association of Manufacturers, these benefits were jeopardized under the Biden Administration’s anti-growth pause on new export licenses. Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025 But in a large, diverse city, anti-growth voices often are counterbalanced by pro-housing interests active in city politics, such as large employers, developers, construction unions or affordable-housing nonprofits. Nicholas J. Marantz, The Conversation, 10 July 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-growth was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Anti-growth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-growth. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.

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