deflation

noun

de·​fla·​tion di-ˈflā-shən How to pronounce deflation (audio)
ˌdē-
1
: an act or instance of deflating : the state of being deflated
2
: a contraction in the volume of available money or credit that results in a general decline in prices
3
: the erosion of soil by the wind
deflationary adjective

Examples of deflation in a Sentence

Economists worry that deflation will bring the country into recession.
Recent Examples on the Web Related article China sinks deeper into deflation as prices fall at fastest rate in 15 years The announcement of the economic growth target for 2024, set to be delivered by Premier Li on Tuesday, is among the most important issues to watch during the two sessions. Simone McCarthy, CNN, 3 Mar. 2024 The Chinese economy, which until recently was thought of as unstoppable, is beginning to falter due to deflation, a growing debt-to-gross domestic product ratio and the impact of a real estate crisis. Dan Murphy, The Conversation, 1 Mar. 2024 Only time will tell if China blunders in the same way by acting too slowly and conservatively to avoid deflation. William Pesek, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 In particular, China’s deflation rate of negative 0.6% in 2023 indicates that domestic supply of goods is outpacing demand. Paolo Confino, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2024 The rate declines have not even kept up with the deflation that China has begun to suffer. Milton Ezrati, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 The country has been hit by a downturn in real estate prices, slow consumer spending, rising youth unemployment and deflation. Lily Kuo, Washington Post, 6 Feb. 2024 That’s jargon for a lengthy period of deflation, low economic growth, and weakness in the property market that can be caused by financial distress from extreme debt loads. Will Daniel, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2023 On the other hand, both deflation (when prices fall) and stagflation (when an economy stops growing) can be harmful to the economy in their own ways. Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 28 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deflation.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deflation was in 1891

Dictionary Entries Near deflation

Cite this Entry

“Deflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deflation. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deflation

noun
de·​fla·​tion di-ˈflā-shən How to pronounce deflation (audio)
ˈdē-
1
: an act or instance of deflating : the state of being deflated
2
: a reduction in the volume of available money or credit resulting in a decline of the general price level
deflationary adjective
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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