What does "inflation" mean?
An act, instance of, or state of expansion or increase in size, especially by injection of a gas or liquid.
Inflation
/ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/ name, noun
name, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act, instance of, or state of expansion or increase in size, especially by injection of a gas or liquid.
- Grammar: inflation is listed as name, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: access, accession, accretion, accrual.
- Useful contrasts: unchanging price level, compression, cosmic contraction.
- Usage evidence: Does depreciation of the yen give rise to inflation?
How to use "inflation"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "inflation" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "inflation" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "inflation" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "inflation" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "inflation" is acting as name, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "access" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "inflation", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act, instance of, or state of expansion or increase in size, especially by injection of a gas or liquid. countable, uncountable
"The inflation of the balloon took five hours."
- 2 the act of filling something with air wordnet
- 3 An increase in the quantity of money, leading to a devaluation of existing money, adjusted for by way of higher nominal values. countable, uncountable
"Due to inflation, the monthly gym fee is rising by 10% from January."
- 4 lack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous and puffed up with vanity wordnet
- 5 Undue expansion or increase, as of academic grades. countable, uncountable
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 (cosmology) a brief exponential expansion of the universe (faster than the speed of light) postulated to have occurred shortly after the big bang wordnet
- 7 An extremely rapid expansion of the universe, theorized to have occurred very shortly after the Big Bang. countable, uncountable
- 8 a general and progressive increase in prices wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The inflationary epoch of the Universe, where the size of the space of universe expanded at speeds beyond the speed of light. One of the ages of the Universe. The cosmic era when most formulations of Big Bang theory start their timelines.
Antonyms
Example
"Does depreciation of the yen give rise to inflation?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "inflation"?
Common synonyms include: access, accession, accretion, accrual, accruement, accumulation.
How do you use "inflation" in a sentence?
Does depreciation of the yen give rise to inflation?
How do you pronounce "inflation"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈfleɪ.ʃən/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
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 2
From inflation.