office of price administration
Very LowHistorical / Academic
Definition
Meaning
A U.S. federal agency during World War II responsible for controlling prices and rationing scarce goods to prevent inflation and ensure equitable distribution.
Historically, the primary price control and rationing authority in the United States from 1941 to 1947, created by executive order. It is often cited in historical and economic contexts as a case study of government intervention in a wartime economy.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term is a proper noun referring to a specific defunct government body. It is almost exclusively used in historical, economic, or political contexts and is not part of active modern vocabulary.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
The term is specific to U.S. history. In British English, a similar wartime function was performed by the Ministry of Food, among others. The phrase 'Office of Price Administration' would be used in the UK only when discussing U.S. history.
Connotations
In American usage, it connotes WWII-era bureaucracy, rationing (coupons for sugar, gasoline, etc.), and price controls. It can evoke nostalgia or debates about government overreach.
Frequency
Exclusively American in referent. Frequency is near-zero in everyday language, appearing only in specialized historical or economic texts.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[The] Office of Price Administration + verb (controlled, regulated, established, ended)[Subject] was regulated by the Office of Price AdministrationVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually never used in contemporary business. Might appear in a historical analysis of market regulation.
Academic
Used in history, economics, and political science papers discussing U.S. wartime policy and economic planning.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Might be mentioned by elderly individuals recalling the war years or in historical documentaries.
Technical
Used as a specific historical term in economic or public administration literature.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The ministry was tasked with functions similar to what the OPA did.
American English
- They OPA'd the price of tires to prevent gouging. (Informal, historical, and rare)
adjective
British English
- The OPA-style controls were debated during the crisis.
American English
- An OPA-era ration book is a collector's item.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The Office of Price Administration was important in World War Two.
- To combat inflation, President Roosevelt established the Office of Price Administration in 1941.
- Historians argue that the Office of Price Administration, despite its bureaucratic complexities, was largely successful in stabilizing the wartime economy through price ceilings and rationing.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Remember OPA: Official Prices America (during WWII).
Conceptual Metaphor
GOVERNMENT IS A CONTROLLER (of the economic machine).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating word-for-word as 'офис администрации цен'. It is a proper name: 'Управление по контролю цен' or historically 'Администрация по контролю над ценами'. The acronym 'OPA' is not used in Russian.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'Office of Price Administration' as a common noun (e.g., 'The government formed an office of price administration' – incorrect; it should be 'a price administration office').
- Capitalizing incorrectly when referring to the specific agency.
- Using it in present-tense contexts as if it still exists.
Practice
Quiz
What was the primary function of the Office of Price Administration?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It was created in 1941 and was dissolved in 1947, after the end of World War II.
OPA is the acronym for the Office of Price Administration.
No, it was disbanded after the war. Its functions are not carried out by a single modern agency.
It serves as a key historical case study of direct government intervention in a market economy during a national emergency, with lessons about inflation control, rationing, and public compliance.