rent-seeking
nounUK /ˈrɛnt ˌsiːkɪŋ/
US /ˈrɛnt ˌsiːkɪŋ/
Trying to get rich by asking for special rules instead of by making something better.
The company spent more on lobbying for tax breaks than on improving its products, which critics called rent-seeking.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. In economics, spending money to capture wealth created by others rather than creating new wealth.
Economists warn that rent-seeking can slow a country's growth by diverting talent into lobbying.
3. The act of seeking an unfair advantage through political or legal means.
The lawsuit was seen as rent-seeking by a firm trying to block its competitors.
4. Behavior aimed at gaining income from owning or controlling something rather than from productive work.
Landlords who raise prices without improving housing are sometimes accused of rent-seeking.