inflationary

adjective

in·​fla·​tion·​ary in-ˈflā-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce inflationary (audio)
: of, characterized by, or productive of inflation
inflationary policies

Examples of inflationary in a Sentence

He blames the bad economy on the government's inflationary policies.
Recent Examples on the Web
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During those inflationary regimes, art returned about 7% a year above inflation, wine 5% and stamps 9%. — Molly A. Wallace, Fortune, 16 Oct. 2026 Meanwhile, oil prices jumped Friday and Brent crude touched $110 per barrel for the first time since May, exacerbating concerns about inflationary pressures that could push the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates further. — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026 The transition to non-fossil energy has its own inflationary impacts, from the costs to heavy industry of adopting new technologies to the production costs of critical minerals. — Tim McDonnell, semafor.com, 15 Oct. 2026 Not surprisingly, the ballooning price of oil was the driving force behind the inflationary bump as the war in Iran rages on and energy exports remain tied up in the Strait of Hormuz. — Kate Nishimura, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inflationary

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inflationary was in 1920

Phrases Containing inflationary

Rhymes for inflationary

See All Rhymes for inflationary

Browse Nearby Words

inflation
inflationary
inflationary gap
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Cite this Entry

“Inflationary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inflationary. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

inflationary

adjective
in·​fla·​tion·​ary in-ˈflā-shə-ˌner-ē How to pronounce inflationary (audio)
: of, relating to, or causing inflation
an inflationary policy
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