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Power of the Purse

What Does "Power of the Purse" Mean?

homeidiomsPower of the Purse
"Power of the purse" is an English idiom. It means "the ability to influence or control decisions and actions by controlling the financial resources or funding."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "power of the purse" used in a sentence:
  • The board of directors held the power of the purse and could allocate funds to different projects as they saw fit.
  • In politics, the power of the purse lies with the legislative body, which controls government spending.
  • She recognized that her role as the chief financial officer gave her the power of the purse within the company.
meaning for power of the purse

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Power of the Purse" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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