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

called also cost-of-living index

Examples of consumer price index in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The producer price index report for August is due out Wednesday morning, followed by the consumer price index on Thursday. —Brian Evans, CNBC, 7 Sep. 2025

Healthcare cost increases are projected to be 8% in 2026, which is about the same as in 2025 and well above the consumer price index or general inflation. —Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2025

The Fed will get to review two more important inflation barometers before its next policy meeting, the producer price index and consumer price index. —Alex Veiga, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2025

By Levi Sumagaysay | CalMatters Unemployment numbers and the consumer price index come out every month like clockwork, giving individuals, businesses and local and state government agencies across the nation critical information. —Calmatters, Oc Register, 29 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

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