inflation

[in-fley-shuhn]

noun

1. Economics.,  a persistent, substantial rise in the general level of prices related to an increase in the volume of money and resulting in the loss of value of currency (deflation ).

2. the act of inflating.

3. the state of being inflated. inflated.

inflation

/ ɪnˈfleɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of inflating or state of being inflated

2. economics a progressive increase in the general level of prices brought about by an expansion in demand or the money supply ( demand-pull inflation ) or by autonomous increases in costs ( cost-push inflation ) Compare deflation

3. informal,  the rate of increase of prices

inflation

1. A general increase in prices.

Other Word Forms

• anti-inflation noun
• noninflation noun
• overinflation noun
• reinflation noun
• self-inflation noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inflation¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English inflacio(u)n, from Latin inflātiōn-, stem of inflātiō, equivalent to inflāt(us), past participle of inflāre “to blow on or into, puff out” + -iō -ion; inflate

Example Sentences

The key statistics were delayed by the government shutdown and will be the last inflation data before the Fed’s Dec. 9-10 meeting.

Read more on Barron's

Federal Reserve Gov. Christopher Waller told Fox Business he will vote for a rate cut next month, arguing inflation will come down and that the labor market is weak.

Read more on MarketWatch

Business investment in artificial intelligence might have accounted for as much as half of the growth in gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, in the first six months of the year.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

With inflation eating into the value of currencies in the U.S.,

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That has been compounded in recent weeks by falling expectations the Federal Reserve will cut rates for a third successive time next month as stubbornly high inflation overshadows weakness in the labour market.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• boom 
• expansion 
• hike 
• rise