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.
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
mid-14c., “swelling caused by gathering of ‘wind’ in the body; flatulence;” figuratively, “outbursts of pride,” from Latin inflationem (nominative inflatio) “a puffing up; flatulence,” noun of action from past participle stem of inflare “blow into, puff up,” from in- “into” (see in- (2)) + flare “to blow” (see blow (v.1)). Monetary sense of “enlargement of prices” (originally by an increase in the amount of money in circulation) first recorded 1838 in American English.
n.
- Distention with a fluid or gas.
- The act of distending an organ or body part with a fluid or gas.
A general increase in prices.