Okuzeka
Economics vocabulary · Markets, Supply and Demand

Demand curve

Meaning in economics, with examples

nounCore term

In economics, demand curve means: A line on a graph showing how much of a product buyers want at each price; it usually slopes downwards because people buy more when the price falls.

In Turkish: talep eğrisi

How it is used

Basic vocabulary in microeconomics lectures and exams. Note the difference between a movement along the demand curve (caused by a change in price) and a shift of the demand curve (caused by income, tastes or the price of other goods). Price goes on the vertical axis and quantity on the horizontal axis.

Example sentences

  1. A rise in incomes shifts the demand curve for cars to the right.

  2. Draw the demand curve first, then add the supply curve and mark the equilibrium.

Common collocations

  • shift the demand curve
  • downward-sloping demand curve
  • movement along the demand curve
  • supply and demand curves
  • demandThe amount of a good or service that buyers are willing and able to purchase at each possible price during a given period.
  • supplyThe amount of a good or service that producers are willing and able to sell at each possible price during a given period.
  • equilibriumA situation in which supply and demand are equal, so there is no pressure for the price or the quantity to change.
  • elasticityA measure of how strongly the quantity demanded or supplied responds to a change in price, income or another factor.
  • substituteA product that can be used instead of another, such as tea and coffee; when the price of one rises, demand for the other usually goes up.

More terms: Markets, Supply and Demand

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level:

This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not financial advice.