inflation

The word “inflation” means a general and sustained rise in prices, which reduces the purchasing power of money. In plain terms, rising prices across an economy over time, or the act of filling something with air.

“Inflation” is pronounced ihn-FLAY-shn (/ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/ in IPA).

Here is “inflation” used in a sentence: “Rising inflation has made weekly grocery bills noticeably higher.”

The opposite of “inflation” — its antonyms — is deflation.

“Inflation” is a noun.

The word “inflation” comes from Latin. From Latin inflatio, "a swelling, blowing up," from inflare — see inflate.

“Inflation” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

“Inflation” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a general and sustained rise in prices, which reduces the purchasing power of money.

Inflation is a general, sustained rise in prices that reduces the purchasing power of money. Deflation is the opposite: a general, sustained fall in prices, which raises the value of money.

Inflation refers to rising prices across the economy, while a recession is a broad decline in economic activity. They are separate concepts and can happen at the same time.

No. Besides the economic meaning, inflation also means the act of filling something with air or gas so it expands, such as the inflation of a tyre or a balloon.

In its economic sense, inflation pairs with words like rate, rising, high, soaring, and curb, as in 'inflation rate' or 'curb inflation.' These collocations reflect measuring or controlling the rise in prices.