: opposed to, inhibiting, or resistant to growth
especially : opposed to economic development
anti-growth measures
… voters this September tossed out a coalition of anti-growth members who have long blocked roadbuilding on ideological grounds. Gregg Easterbrook

Examples of anti-growth 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.
Either way, the president’s tariff policy is decidedly anti-growth and is making the country poorer. Wayne Winegarden, Oc Register, 5 Apr. 2026 But in a large, diverse city, anti-growth voices often are counterbalanced by pro-housing interests active in city politics, such as large employers, developers, construction unions or affordable-housing nonprofits. Nicholas J. Marantz, The Conversation, 10 July 2023 According to the National Association of Manufacturers, these benefits were jeopardized under the Biden Administration’s anti-growth pause on new export licenses. Wayne Winegarden, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of anti-growth was in 1887

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Cite this Entry

“Anti-growth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/anti-growth. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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