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
The change would be much more significant had the legislation based the increase on the consumer price index over the past 48 years.
—
Editorial, Boston Herald, 29 Dec. 2025
The inflation picture last week showed improvement , with the government’s November consumer price index registering a smaller-than-expected year over year advance.
—Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
The November consumer price index showed annual inflation easing to 2.7%, below expectations.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 20 Dec. 2025
According to the latest consumer price index figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the prices for milk, butter and cheese are down.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for consumer price index
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.
Editorial, Boston Herald, 29 Dec. 2025
The inflation picture last week showed improvement , with the government’s November consumer price index registering a smaller-than-expected year over year advance.
—Matthew J. Belvedere, CNBC, 21 Dec. 2025
The November consumer price index showed annual inflation easing to 2.7%, below expectations.
—Benzinga, Freep.com, 20 Dec. 2025
According to the latest consumer price index figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the prices for milk, butter and cheese are down.
—Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 19 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for consumer price index
Cite this Entry
“Consumer price index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consumer%20price%20index. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share