Word
Definitions
01rising prices
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Economics
n. a general increase in prices and a fall in the purchasing value of money.
n. a persistent increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over a period of time.
日本語:インフレ※
“High inflation means that your weekly groceries cost much more than they did last year.”
“Central banks often raise interest rates to combat rising inflation and prevent the economy from overheating.”
Usage
Usually uncountable when referring to the general economic trend.
Synonyms
Antonyms
02filling with air
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Technical
n. the act of filling something with air or gas so it gets bigger.
n. the act of expanding or distending an object by injecting it with a gas or liquid.
“The inflation of the life raft took only a few seconds after he pulled the cord.”
“Proper inflation of the aircraft's tires is critical for ensuring a safe landing on wet runways.”
Usage
Can be countable or uncountable depending on whether it refers to the process or a specific instance.
Antonyms
03academic grades
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Academic
n. when things like school grades increase over time so they seem less special.
n. the tendency for academic marks or evaluations to rise over time, resulting in a perceived loss of value in high grades.
日本語:インフレ※
“Because of grade inflation, almost everyone in the class received an A.”
“Employers expressed concern that grade inflation at top universities makes it difficult to distinguish truly exceptional candidates from the rest of the cohort.”
Synonyms
04the early universe
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Science Technical
n. a very fast expansion of the universe that happened just after it began.
n. a theory of exponential expansion of space in the early universe, occurring shortly after the Big Bang.
“Scientists study cosmic inflation to understand how the universe grew so large so quickly.”
“The theory of inflation explains why the cosmic microwave background radiation appears so uniform across the observable sky.”
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “inflation” in context.
Verb
01. combat inflation
“The central bank raised interest rates to combat inflation.”
verb + noun
02. inflation rises
“As inflation rises, the purchasing power of the local currency tends to decrease.”
noun + verb
03. keep inflation down
“The government implemented new policies to keep inflation down during the crisis.”
verb + noun + adv
Adjective
04. annual inflation
“The annual inflation rate has reached its highest level in three decades.”
adj + noun
05. runaway inflation
“The country experienced runaway inflation, with prices doubling every few weeks.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. inflation target
“The bank's primary goal is to meet its two percent inflation target.”
noun + noun
07. rate of inflation
“Economists are worried that the rate of inflation will exceed five percent this year.”
noun + of + noun
Preposition
08. hedge against inflation
“Many investors buy gold as a hedge against inflation.”
noun + prep + noun
Real-World Examples
“Spain's central bank had already raised its inflation forecast in June, and for the full year it expects inflation to reach 3.6 percent, up from a previous forecast of 3.0 percent.” “Annual inflation is now 6.5%, compared with 24.6% in July 2021.” “Annual US inflation dipped to 3.4% in July, with food costs slowing and housing keeping prices slightly higher.” “When adjusted for inflation, the price of this year's cheapest ticket has actually fallen over the last decade.” Etymology
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French inflation (“swelling”), from Latin īnflātiō (“expansion", "blowing up”), from īnflātus, the perfect passive participle of īnflō (“blow into, expand”), from in (“into”) + flō (“blow”). By surface analysis, inflate + -ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/inflation
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR