consumer price index

American  

noun

1. an index of the changes in the cost of goods and services to a typical consumer, based on the costs of the same goods and services at a base period. CPI

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consumer price index Cultural  

1. An index published by the government each month of prices for a representative sample of goods and services. The consumer price index was formerly known as the cost-of-living index.

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Etymology

Origin of consumer price index

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Economists expect a 0.1% monthly decline in the headline consumer price index, but the majority of attention will be on the extent to which elevated oil prices are affecting underlying inflation.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 19, 2026

This price hike will have a limited impact on the consumer price index, which has only a small weighting for such devices.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 17, 2026

The consumer price index rose 0.5% on a seasonally adjusted basis — the largest monthly increase in three years — pushing the annual inflation rate to 4.2%.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 10, 2026

U.S. inflation is over double the Federal Reserve’s 2% target, with the consumer price index rising 4.2% year over year in May.

From Barron's • Jun. 10, 2026

The Boskin Commission con�cluded in 1996 that the consumer price index overstates the actual rise in the cost of living by a percentage point a year.

From Definition & Reality in the General Theory of Political Economy by Colignatus, Thomas

Related Words

• price index
• retail price index