engel's law: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowAcademic/Technical
Quick answer
What does “engel's law” mean?
An economic observation stating that as household income rises, the proportion spent on food decreases, even if absolute food expenditure increases.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An economic observation stating that as household income rises, the proportion spent on food decreases, even if absolute food expenditure increases.
A principle in economics describing the relationship between household income and spending patterns across different categories, particularly demonstrating that food is a necessity with income-inelastic demand.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; term is identical in both varieties.
Connotations
Technical/economic term with no regional connotative differences.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both academic economics contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “engel's law” in a Sentence
Engel's law states that...Engel's law demonstrates...Engel's law is illustrated by...Vocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Used in market research and consumer analytics to predict spending shifts with income changes.
Academic
Common in economics textbooks, papers on consumer theory and development economics.
Everyday
Rarely used outside educational or professional economic discussions.
Technical
Precise term in econometrics when analyzing household expenditure data.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “engel's law”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “engel's law”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “engel's law”
- Misspelling as 'Angels law' or 'Engels law' (missing apostrophe).
- Using without capitalization.
- Applying to luxury goods instead of necessities.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
German statistician Ernst Engel in the 19th century.
No, they spend more in absolute terms, but food takes up a smaller percentage of their total budget.
It's a strong empirical regularity observed across most economies and time periods, though there can be exceptions in specific contexts.
Graphical representations showing the relationship between income and expenditure on a particular good, named after Ernst Engel.
An economic observation stating that as household income rises, the proportion spent on food decreases, even if absolute food expenditure increases.
Engel's law is usually academic/technical in register.
Engel's law: in British English it is pronounced /ˈɛŋɡəlz lɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈɛŋɡəlz lɔː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Living proof of Engel's law”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Engel's law: As you earn more, your plate costs less (as a percentage).
Conceptual Metaphor
FOOD IS A SINKING FOUNDATION (takes up less relative space as income structure grows).
Practice
Quiz
What does Engel's law primarily describe?