Meanings
- uncountableThe neoliberal, free market economic ideas and policies of the American president Ronald Reagan (1911–2004) and his two administrations (1981–1989), with a focus on reduced government spending, taxation, and regulations (supply-side economics) and granting potential benefits and encouragement to wealthy people and businesses in particular to drive the rest of the economy (trickle-down hypothesis).
However, until the wheels came off the wagon in 2008, no doubt existed as to the efficacy of Bush's Reaganomics redux in feathering the nests of his wealthy “base.”
2012, David L. Smith, The Predicament1 more example
Many opponents of Reaganomics, in fact, don't contend that the program can't work over the long run. But they argue that the program can not work the way the President promised and that the resulting social cost isn't worth it.
1982 January 3, Jonathan Fuerbringer, “Reaganomics: The Report Card for 1981, and the Prospects”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Origin
Blend of Reagan + economics, equivalent to Reagan + -nomics.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish reaganismi
- reaganismieconomic idea
Polish reaganomika
- reaganomikaeconomic idea
Russian рейгано́мика
- рейгано́мика (rejganómika)economic idea
Spanish reaganomía
- reaganomíaeconomic idea
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Reaganomics
All rhymes →Cite this entry
Reaganomics. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Reaganomics
“Reaganomics.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Reaganomics. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Reaganomics,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Reaganomics.
Source: Reaganomics on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.