lagging indicator

American

[lag-ing in-di-kayt-er] / ˈlæg ɪŋ ˈɪn dɪˌkeɪt ər /

noun

Economics. a statistical measure, usually an economic indicator, that has a delayed response to changes compared to the rest of a system.

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.

However, he finds that to be a lagging indicator and suggests investors instead focus on whether AI models are showing consistent improvements.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 14, 2026

Plus, excreta is a lagging indicator, so it’s doubly difficult to connect the dots.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025

For technical reasons related to the way it treats housing, the consumer price index is a lagging indicator; other measures suggest that we’re already close to the Federal Reserve’s target inflation rate of 2%.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 23, 2024

To be sure, such data are a lagging indicator of enforcement activity and the agency has said the pandemic slowed some work.

From Reuters • Oct. 30, 2023

And those numbers just cover leases, a lagging indicator.

From Slate • Dec. 12, 2022

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