noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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1
noun
Meaning 1
The attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Topics: economics, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The effort to increase one's share of wealth without doing something productive or adding value.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From rent (“a profit from possession of a valuable right”) + seeking.
Across languages
Translations
9 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese Mandarin:
尋租 /寻租
(xúnzū)
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Finnish:
oman edun tavoittelu
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Finnish:
välistäveto
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Finnish:
rent seeking
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Norwegian Bokmål:
tilkaringsvirksomhet
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Polish:
pogoń za rentą
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Spanish:
búsqueda de renta
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Swedish:
fördelssökande
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
Turkish:
rantçılık
— attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking governmental action that restricts entry into a market
