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

Antoni has also persistently called out the BLS’s methodology for calculating consumer price index inflation. —Tiana Lowe Doescher, The Washington Examiner, 15 Aug. 2025

However, this takes time, as evidenced by China’s flat consumer price index (CPI) in July. —Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 14 Aug. 2025

One Brookings analyst said that although this week’s overall consumer price index figures looked mild, increases can be seen in key categories, and a Goldman Sachs analysis said tariffs were putting new costs onto consumers. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2025

Overall inflation held steady at 2.7% in July but a core measure that strips out volatile food and energy items rose from 2.9% to 3.1%, reflecting the rise in services price, according to the consumer price index, released Aug. 12. —Paul Davidson, USA Today, 13 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