command economy

American  

[kuh-mand i-kon-uh-mee] / kəˈmænd ɪˌkɒn ə mi /

noun

1. a socialist economic system in which production and distribution of goods and services are controlled by the government and industry is mostly publicly owned.

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command economy British  

noun

1. Also called: planned economy.  an economy in which business activities and the allocation of resources are determined by government order rather than market forces

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Etymology

Origin of command economy

First recorded in 1940–45

Compare meaning

How does command-economy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• market economy vs. command economy

Example Sentences

Since the fall of communism 35 years ago, Poland has transformed itself from a command economy notorious for rationed goods and empty store shelves to one of the engines of European growth.

From Barron's • Feb. 3, 2026

Up until then, the country had been soldiering on as a communist command economy, with all work and goods distributed by the state.

From BBC • Jun. 13, 2018

Before elections in 2010, Myanmar was both one of the most brutal dictatorships in Asia and a closed, command economy where government factories churned out a variety of items like soap and bicycles.

From New York Times • Nov. 16, 2012

In 1928 Stalin’s plans called for a command economy, a system in which the government made all economic decisions.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2012

In contrast, eastern Germany's obsolete command economy, once dominated by smokestack heavy industries, has been undergoing a wrenching change to a market economy.

From The 1991 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency