trickle down

See also: trickledown, and trickle-down

English

Verb

trickle down (third-person singular simple present trickles down, present participle trickling down, simple past and past participle trickled down)

1. (economics) To pass from high-ranked people to lower-ranked people

   The CEO's benefits are unlikely to trickle down to the factory workers.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see trickle,‎ down.

Usage notes

Sometimes shortened to trickle.

See also

• trickle-down
• trickle-down economics
• trickle-down hypothesis
• supply-side economics