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deflationary

American  
[di-flay-shuhn-er-ee] / dɪˈfleɪ ʃənˌɛr i /

adjective

  1. Economics. characterized by or causing a reduction in the supply of available money or credit, typically leading to a decline in prices.

  2. characterized by or having the effect of deflating something.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Deflationary pressures — with inflation hovering near 0.8% — have created a “wait and see” mentality.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026

Deflationary pressures persisted in China’s economy, with consumer prices in December declining 0.3%, a third consecutive month in decline, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed Friday.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 11, 2024

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.