inflation
Definition
The overall general upward price movement of goods and services in an economy, usually as measured by the Consumer Price Index and the Producer Price Index. Over time, as the cost of goods and services increase, the value of a dollar is going to fall because a person won't be able to purchase as much with that dollar as he/she previously could. While the annual rate of inflation has fluctuated greatly over the last half century, ranging from nearly zero inflation to 23% inflation, the Fed actively tries to maintain a specific rate of inflation, which is usually 2-3% but can vary depending on circumstances. opposite of deflation.
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Related Terms
economics, macroeconomics, bracket creep, commodity-backed bond, constant dollars, cost-push inflation, credit squeeze, demand inflation, disinflation, hyperinflation, index bond, indicator, monetary policy, tight monetary policy, monetizing debt, nominal, real, price index, purchasing power risk, stagflation, misery index
'inflation
' appears in the definitions of these terms on BusinessDictionary.com incomes policy, stagflation, consumer price index (CPI), fixed income investment, stabilization policy, and 
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