beggar-your-neighbor: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowFormal, especially in economics/political discourse.
Quick answer
What does “beggar-your-neighbor” mean?
A competitive, zero-sum situation where one party's gain is another's loss.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A competitive, zero-sum situation where one party's gain is another's loss.
Refers to policies or actions (especially in economics or trade) that attempt to benefit oneself at the direct expense of others, often resulting in collective harm.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The spelling varies: 'neighbour' in UK, 'neighbor' in US. The term is more common in UK political and economic commentary.
Connotations
Both carry strongly negative connotations of destructive, unethical competition.
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in British English, but remains a specialized term in both varieties.
Grammar
How to Use “beggar-your-neighbor” in a Sentence
beggar-your-neighbour policiesa beggar-your-neighbor strategyto engage in beggar-thy-neighbourVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “beggar-your-neighbor” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The chancellor warned against beggar-thy-neighbour tax cuts.
- Their beggar-thy-neighbour trade policy sparked retaliation.
American English
- Economists condemned the beggar-your-neighbor tariff strategy.
- It was a classic beggar-your-neighbor approach to subsidies.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Describes destructive competitive practices that harm an entire industry.
Academic
Used in economics and political science to critique certain trade or fiscal policies.
Everyday
Rare; might be used metaphorically to describe selfish behavior in a group.
Technical
Specific term in game theory and international relations for non-cooperative strategies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “beggar-your-neighbor”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “beggar-your-neighbor”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “beggar-your-neighbor”
- Using it as a verb (*'They beggared-their-neighbour'). It is almost exclusively an adjective.
- Confusing it with 'beggar belief' (which is different).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost exclusively used as an attributive adjective (e.g., 'beggar-your-neighbor policies'). The related verb phrase is 'to beggar thy neighbor', but it is archaic and rare.
It originates from the older phrase 'beggar my neighbour', a card game where the goal is to win all of an opponent's cards. It was adopted into economics in the 1930s to describe competitive currency devaluations.
Protectionism is a broader category of policies that restrict imports to shield domestic producers. Beggar-your-neighbor is a specific, negative label for protectionist (or similarly aggressive) policies that are seen as directly harmful to other nations in a zero-sum way.
Use it hyphenated as an adjective before a noun like 'policy', 'strategy', or 'tactics'. For example: 'The summit failed to address beggar-your-neighbor subsidy races.'
A competitive, zero-sum situation where one party's gain is another's loss.
Beggar-your-neighbor is usually formal, especially in economics/political discourse. in register.
Beggar-your-neighbor: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbeɡə jɔː ˈneɪbə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbeɡər jʊr ˈneɪbər/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “race to the bottom”
- “cut-throat competition”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a beggar who steals from his neighbour's cup. One gains a coin, the neighbour loses one. A selfish, short-sighted gain.
Conceptual Metaphor
ECONOMIC RELATIONS ARE A ZERO-SUM GAME.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary implication of 'beggar-your-neighbor' policies?