What does "rent-seeking" mean?
The attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market.
Rent-seeking
/ɹɛnt siːkɪŋ/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market.
- Grammar: rent-seeking is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: corruption, rent seeking.
- Usage evidence: In many market-oriented economies, government restrictions upon economic activity are pervasive facts of life. These restrictions give rise to rents of a variety of forms, and people often compete for the rents. Sometimes, such competition is perfectly legal. In other instances, rent seeking takes other forms, such as bribery, corruption, smuggling, and black markets.
How to use "rent-seeking"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "rent-seeking" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
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- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "rent-seeking" in a final draft.
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Before you rely on this definition
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Compare nearby meanings
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "rent-seeking" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
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Final meaning check
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 The attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market. uncountable
"In many market-oriented economies, government restrictions upon economic activity are pervasive facts of life. These restrictions give rise to rents of a variety of forms, and people often compete for the rents. Sometimes, such competition is perfectly legal. In other instances, rent seeking takes other forms, such as bribery, corruption, smuggling, and black markets."
- 2 (economics) the theory that a person or firm seeks to make money by manipulating the economic environment rather than by making a profit through production or trade wordnet
- 3 The effort to increase one's share of wealth without doing something productive or adding value. uncountable
"Ultimately, at the very end of the spectrum rent-seeking takes place in private social life, even though a delimitation critically depends on the society's 'subjective' definition of property rights and duties. It makes sense to define people begging on the street and knocking on doors as rent-seekers, in particular if they have opportunities to work."
Synonyms
All synonyms corruptionrent seeking
Example
"In many market-oriented economies, government restrictions upon economic activity are pervasive facts of life. These restrictions give rise to rents of a variety of forms, and people often compete for the rents. Sometimes, such competition is perfectly legal. In other instances, rent seeking takes other forms, such as bribery, corruption, smuggling, and black markets."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "rent-seeking"?
Common synonyms include: corruption, rent seeking.
How do you use "rent-seeking" in a sentence?
In many market-oriented economies, government restrictions upon economic activity are pervasive facts of life. These restrictions give rise to rents of a variety of forms, and people often compete for the rents. Sometimes, such competition is perfectly legal. In other instances, rent seeking takes other forms, such as bribery, corruption, smuggling, and black markets.
How do you pronounce "rent-seeking"?
Pronounced /ɹɛnt siːkɪŋ/.
Etymology
From rent (“a profit from possession of a valuable right”) + seeking.