inflation

UK: /ɪnˈfleɪʃ^ən/ US: /ɪnˈfleɪʃən/ ,(in flā′shən)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•fla•tion /ɪnˈfleɪʃən/   n. [uncountable]

1. Business a steady rise in the level of prices:
   During inflation money does not buy as much as it once did.

in•fla•tion•ar•y /ɪnˈfleɪʃəˌnɛri/  adj.: 

inflationary pressures.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•fla•tion  (in flā′shən), n. 

1. Economics, Business 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).
2. Economics the act of inflating.
3. Economics the state of being inflated.

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

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

inflation / ɪnˈfleɪʃən/ noun

1. the act of inflating or state of being inflated
2. 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. the rate of increase of prices