consumer price index

noun

: an index measuring the change in the cost of typical wage-earner purchases of goods and services expressed as a percentage of the cost of these same goods and services in some base period

—abbreviation CPI

called also cost-of-living index

Examples of consumer price index in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

The latest consumer price index showed heating oil in September was up 74% from a year ago, nearly double the jump in gasoline, just as residents start filling their tanks for winter. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2026 Joe Raedle | Getty Images Yesterday's consumer price index data came in hotter than economists anticipated on a 12-month basis, largely thanks to surging energy prices. — Alex Harring, CNBC, 15 Oct. 2026 The consumer price index shows the cost of pet food has gone up 20% since 2022. — Dawn White, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 There are other ways the government measures inflation, including the consumer price index for Americans 62 and older, known as the CPI-E, that could be more accurate. — Pankaj Agrrawal, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for consumer price index

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of consumer price index was in 1945

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Browse Nearby Words

consumerism

consumer price index

consumer sovereignty

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Style

“Consumer price index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consumer%20price%20index. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Legal Definition

consumer price index

noun

consumer price in·dex

: an index measuring the change in the cost of typical wage-earner purchases of goods and services in some base period

called also cost-of-living index

consumer price index

noun

Examples of consumer price index in a Sentence

Word History

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Legal Definition

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