command economy

noun

: an economic system in which activity is controlled by a central authority and the means of production are publicly owned

Examples of command economy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As the security services played whack-a-mole with new activist movements, the economic stress of the 1980s overwhelmed the GDR’s command economy. — Samuel Clowes Huneke, The New Republic, 22 Sep. 2023 The country’s command economy rallied clean energy companies, helping grow national and international champions in green energy. — Grace Shao, Fortune Asia, 10 Oct. 2024 Cuba, with a Soviet-style command economy, has been unwilling to loosen restrictions on the private sector and open its economy to foreign investment, as many allies like Vietnam and China have urged it to do. — Orlando Matos, NBC news, 6 Jan. 2026 The inefficient economy of that corrupt kleptocracy is gradually becoming a command economy, as Russian President Vladimir Putin seizes private property. — Washington Post, 16 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for command economy

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of command economy was in 1942

Rhymes for command economy

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Browse Nearby Words

command car
command economy
commandeer
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Cite this Entry

“Command economy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/command%20economy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on command economy

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about command economy

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