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redistribution of wealth

Definition of Redistribution of Wealth

(noun) The transfer of income, property, or wealth from one individual or group to another individual or group.

Example of Redistribution of Wealth

  • Yearly income taxes paid to the local or federal government that are then allocated to various agencies and individuals.

Redistribution of Wealth Pronunciation

Pronunciation Usage Guide

Syllabification: re·dis·tri·bu·tion of wealth

Audio Pronunciation

– American English
– British English

Phonetic Spelling

  • American English – /ree-di-struh-byOO-shuhn uhv wElth/
  • British English – /ree-di-stri-byOO-shuhn UHv wElth/

International Phonetic Alphabet

  • American English – /ˌridɪstrəˈbjuʃən ʌv wɛlθ/
  • British English – /ˌriːˌdɪstrɪˈbjuːʃən ɒv wɛlθ/

Usage Notes

  • Plural: redistributions of wealth
  • Progressive redistribution means it reduces inequality and regressive redistribution means it increases inequality. Redistribution that transfers resources between different economic classes is called vertical redistribution and between different groups (such as people without children and with children) is called horizontal redistribution.

Additional Information

Related Terms


Cite the Definition of Redistribution of Wealth

ASA – American Sociological Association (5th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “redistribution of wealth.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Retrieved November 8, 2024 (https://sociologydictionary.org/redistribution-of-wealth/).

APA – American Psychological Association (6th edition)

redistribution of wealth. (2014). In K. Bell (Ed.), Open education sociology dictionary. Retrieved from https://sociologydictionary.org/redistribution-of-wealth/

Chicago/Turabian: Author-Date – Chicago Manual of Style (16th edition)

Bell, Kenton, ed. 2014. “redistribution of wealth.” In Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Accessed November 8, 2024. https://sociologydictionary.org/redistribution-of-wealth/.

MLA – Modern Language Association (7th edition)

“redistribution of wealth.” Open Education Sociology Dictionary. Ed. Kenton Bell. 2014. Web. 8 Nov. 2024. <https://sociologydictionary.org/redistribution-of-wealth/>.