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price control

price control

19 3.0
A government limit on the highest price stores can charge for goods or services
  • noun
  • /praɪs kənˈtroʊl/
translation icon : control de precios
  • As a result, price controls were momentarily put back on maize meal.
  • wage and price controls
  • oil price control
  • impose price controls

So we had price controls on general prices and price limits on, on, on wages.

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Examples

  • When the government responded with price controls, hoarding and food shortages spread throughout towns.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The authors' conclusion is that the price controls did not affect people's inflation perceptions.

    Academic text (2016)
  • In section III, we discuss the period of price controls in 2013.

    Academic text (2016)
  • In February 2013, the government of Argentina significantly extended its policy of price controls on retail products.

    Academic text (2016)
  • To enforce these price controls, the government publicly asked its supporters to help monitor prices.

    Academic text (2016)
  • By August, Nixon had implemented wage and price controls as a means of preventing additional inflation.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Further shortages, fuel rationing, and damaging price controls are predicted for the last quarter of 2000.

    Academic text (2000)
  • The state also exercised price controls on monopolistic firms, which were tolerated in return for economies of scale.

    Academic text (1991)
  • Mr. Mugabe responded by imposing price controls, obliging shops to sell bread for less than it cost to bake.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • The government imposed price control on essential goods during the emergency to stabilize the economy.

Synonyms

price freeze
vsprice control
  • Specialized
1 4.1

An action that keeps prices at their current level for a set time to stop big price rises

sets a maximum allowed price rather than keeping prices unchanged

Antonyms

55 6.0

The removal of government rules that control an industry or business to allow more competition

How Strict

cap
258 3.3
price control
19 3.0
price floor
  • Specialized
1 5.1

Surface Forms

price control singular

Morphology

price + control

The noun phrase 'price control' is directly interpretable as 'control or regulation of prices' by combining 'price' (cost of an item) with 'control' (to limit or regulate). This compositional structure is common cross-linguistically and in everyday discourse, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the government-imposed restriction meaning.

Etymology

The term price control comes from a simple image: putting a 'cap' on a shop's price and using control like a lid to stop it rising. That's why it means government rules that 'limit' how much can be charged for goods.