purchasing power
noun
1
: the amount of money that a person or group has available to spend
Inflation decreases consumer purchasing power.
2
: the value of money thought of as how much it can buy
a decline in the purchasing power of the dollar
Examples of purchasing power in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The surge in home prices has slowed while income gains have accelerated, bolstering the purchasing power of homebuyers, some analysts noted.
—
Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Since wages for most Americans have not gone up as much as prices, purchasing power has declined.
—Monique Johnson, The Providence Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Since wages for most Americans have not gone up as much as prices, purchasing power has declined.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Shifting the pricing pressure to individuals fragments purchasing power and weakens collective negotiation.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purchasing power
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.
Max Zahn, ABC News, 18 Feb. 2026
Since wages for most Americans have not gone up as much as prices, purchasing power has declined.
—Monique Johnson, The Providence Journal, 18 Feb. 2026
Since wages for most Americans have not gone up as much as prices, purchasing power has declined.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 13 Feb. 2026
Shifting the pricing pressure to individuals fragments purchasing power and weakens collective negotiation.
—Sreedhar Potarazu, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purchasing power
Cite this Entry
“Purchasing power.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purchasing%20power. Accessed 27 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
