price war

American

noun

intensive competition, especially among retailers, in which prices are repeatedly cut in order to undersell competitors or sometimes to force smaller competitors out of business.

price war British

noun

a period of intense competition among enterprises, esp retail enterprises, in the same market, characterized by repeated price reductions rather than advertising, brand promotion, etc

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of price war

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The reductions escalate a price war with rival Eli Lilly in one of the fastest-growing, most hotly contested categories in pharmaceuticals.

From The Wall Street Journal

There’s a price war going on and Novo Nordisk recently launched a pill version, which will attract people squeamish about weekly injections.

From The Wall Street Journal

This past week investors have seen the cost of this price war.

From The Wall Street Journal

Chinese policymakers have made boosting domestic demand their top policy priority and vowed to crack down on “involution,” a buzzword for price wars and excessive competition.

From The Wall Street Journal

Investor concerns include potential increased churn rates due to the iPhone 17, a possible price war with Verizon, and reduced subscriber growth from immigration policies.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023