inflationary

adjective

in·​fla·​tion·​ary in-ˈflā-shə-ˌner-ē 

: 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

The expectation for higher spending could be contributed to current inflationary pricing as shoppers prepare to dole out more money due to higher costs. — Arthur Zaczkiewicz, Footwear News, 5 Oct. 2026

Amid this energy shock, market participants fear that inflationary pressures could intensify further. — CNBC, 2 Oct. 2026

Keep the diesel at home and prices will fall, sparing farmers, truckers, and inflationary pressures on all Americans. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026

To make matters worse, a second inflationary shock could be in the works, The Wall Street Journal’s chief economics commentator warned, which means interest rates could remain high for longer than expected. — Prashant Rao, semafor.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing inflationary

• anti-inflationary
• counter-inflationary
• inflationary spiral

Rhymes for inflationary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary

Kids Definition

inflationary

adjective

in·​fla·​tion·​ary in-ˈflā-shə-ˌner-ē 

: of, relating to, or causing inflation

an inflationary policy