inflation

B2 Topic:Economics & Markets

US /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/ UK /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃn̩/ See IPA manual

Freq #14261

Meanings

1

noun
A general rise in prices over time, which makes money worth less.

Rising inflation made everyday groceries more expensive.
2

noun
The act of filling something with air or gas.

The inflation of the huge balloon took nearly an hour.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a general rise in prices... rising prices

Opposites

deflation

Word family

Forms inflations

Derived forms agflationanti-inflationbidenflationcheapflationcounter-inflationcumflationdisinflationeggflationexcuseflationfoodflationfriendflationgreedflation

Related forms conflation deflation inflatereflation

Appears in

Phrases (2)

See all

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.

*bʰleh₁- Proto-Indo-European inflation Old French īnflātiō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Economics & Markets Personal Finance Money & Finance

External links

# inflation

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃn̩/
**Frequency rank:** 14261

## Meanings
1. A general rise in prices over time, which makes money worth less.
2. The act of filling something with air or gas.

## Examples
- Rising inflation made everyday groceries more expensive.
- The inflation of the huge balloon took nearly an hour.

## Antonyms
- deflation

## Derived Forms
- agflation
- anti-inflation
- bidenflation
- cheapflation
- counter-inflation
- cumflation
- disinflation
- eggflation
- excuseflation
- foodflation
- friendflation
- greedflation

## Related Forms
- conflation
- deflation
- inflate
- reflation

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: *bʰleh₁-
- Root: inflation
- Root: īnflātiō

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Inflation comes 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. The analysis is mainly morphological: the modern nominal form is built from the named base and affix. The historical line also includes *bʰleh₁-.

## Topics
- Economics & Markets
- Personal Finance
- Money & Finance

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