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 consumer price index, which measures costs across a broad array of goods and services, rose 3.7% in August from a year ago -- up from the 3.2% pace in July -- the U.S. Department of Labor reported Wednesday. —Michael R. Wickline, Arkansas Online, 15 Sep. 2023

Winfrey outlined two other principal concerns with Disney: that programmers raise prices at a rate that’s faster than the consumer price index; and that rigid household minimums mean contracts force certain channels on consumers. —Bypaolo Confino, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2023

The average fare for a domestic flight in July was down 9 percent from June and 19 percent from last July, according to the government’s consumer price index. —David Koenig, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2023

Annual consumer price index inflation in June was at its lowest level since March 2021, at 3%. —Benzinga, Detroit Free Press, 15 July 2023

The council would have the power to increase that minimum wage each year by up to 3.5% or the change in the U.S. consumer price index for urban wage earners and clerical workers, whichever is lower. —CBS News, 13 Sep. 2023

The deal also allows the new council to advance annual wage increases of either 3.5% or an amount based on average changes to the consumer price index each year, whichever is lower, that could apply to fast-food workers statewide or in specific regions. —Taryn Luna, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2023

What’s next: The government releases its consumer price index report for August on Wednesday. —Globe Columnist, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023

The consumer price index for technical and business school tuition and fees jumped 2.3% over the last year through July, according to Labor Department data. —Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 21 Aug. 2023

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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