inflation

[ in-fley-shuhn ]

/ ɪnˈfleɪ ʃən /

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noun

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 (opposed to deflation).

the act of inflating.

the state of being inflated.

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Origin of inflation

1300–50; Middle English inflacio(u)n<Latin inflātiōn- (stem of inflātiō). See inflate, -ion

OTHER WORDS FROM inflation

an·ti-in·fla·tion, noun, adjectivenon·in·fla·tion, nouno·ver·in·fla·tion, nounre·in·fla·tion, noun

self-in·fla·tion, noun

Words nearby inflation

inflammatory bowel disease, “In Flanders Fields”, inflatable, inflate, inflated, inflation, inflationary, inflationary gap, inflationary spiral, inflationary universe, inflationism

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use inflation in a sentence

Still, if there’s any connection at all, then it should ease concerns about inflation.
After $20 trillion in pandemic relief spending, there’s still no sign of inflation. What happened?|Bernhard Warner|August 25, 2020|Fortune
After adjusting for inflation over two decades, the deal with Cisterra would end up costing about $127 million, according to the city’s independent budget analyst.
How the City Came to Lease a Lemon|Lisa Halverstadt and Jesse Marx|August 10, 2020|Voice of San Diego
They analyzed how a collapsing universe would change its own structure, and they ultimately discovered that contraction can beat inflation at its own game.
Big Bounce Simulations Challenge the Big Bang|Charlie Wood|August 4, 2020|Quanta Magazine
Its supporters believe a currency’s value should be connected with the amount of gold in reserves as a way to prevent inflation.
Senate committee gave key approval to Fed nominee’s unorthodox economic views|Karen Ho|July 21, 2020|Quartz

California recently capped the amount rent could be raised across the state at 5 percent plus inflation.
Why Rent Control Doesn’t Work (Ep. 373 Rebroadcast)|Stephen J. Dubner|March 12, 2020|Freakonomics
It raises inflation, since you need more rubles to buy imports.
Putin Can’t Bully or Bomb a Recession|Daniel Gross|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The penalties are set in stone through 2016, but after that they will remain at $695 per year, plus inflation.
Think You’re Invincible? Here’s Why Open Enrollment Matters|DailyBurn|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The median household income in inflation-adjusted dollars back in 1987 was… well, what do you think?
The Real Reason Democrats Lost|Michael Tomasky|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A predictable, inflation-adjusted minimum wage would make business planning easier.
To Make Their Victory Durable, the GOP Must Fix the Minimum Wage|Dmitri Mehlhorn|November 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
With a total of $289 million (adjusted for inflation), it is the highest-grossing silent film of all time.
How to Save Silent Movies: Inside New Jersey’s Cinema Paradiso|Rich Goldstein|October 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I candidly answered that I could not see the end of the inflation.
Four Years in Rebel Capitals|T. C. DeLeon
Then the results of the inflation came with relentless and rapid pace.
Four Years in Rebel Capitals|T. C. DeLeon
The diagnostic characters were the length and breadth of the rostrum and the relatively great inflation of the auditory bullae.
Speciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii|Henry W. Setzer
Under the stress of war, this process of credit inflation has been growing like the genii let out of the bottle.
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society|Upton Sinclair
And do not let anybody fool you for a single second by talking about "fiat money" and "inflation of the currency."
The Book of Life: Vol. I Mind and Body; Vol. II Love and Society|Upton Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for inflation

inflation

/ (ɪnˈfleɪʃən) /

noun

the act of inflating or state of being inflated

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

informal the rate of increase of prices

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for inflation

inflation

A general increase in prices.

inflation

Origin of inflation

OTHER WORDS FROM inflation

Words nearby inflation

Words related to inflation

How to use inflation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for inflation

Cultural definitions for inflation