hyperinflation

noun

hy·​per·​in·​fla·​tion ˌhī-pər-in-ˈflā-shən 

: extreme or excessive inflation: such as

a

: excessive distension with air or gas

hyperinflation of the lungs

b

: extreme economic inflation with prices rising at a very high rate in a very short time

But the policy also fueled hyperinflation that experts say left Iran's economy weaker in the long run.

—Ramin Mostaghim

also : a period of such inflation

While every company may employ any of a variety of cash investment options during hyperinflation, every successful company has one policy in common …

—Gerald Swanson

hyperinflationary

ˌhī-pər-in-ˈflā-shə-ˌnər-ē 

adjective

Examples of hyperinflation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Together, these protectionist policies would drive up the cost of goods, create sweeping supply-chain issues and quite possibly cause hyperinflation. —Jonathan Mahler Edoardo Ballerini Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024

The hyperinflation had ended in 1923, and the period right afterward, in the mid-twenties, was, in Germany as elsewhere, golden. —Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 18 Mar. 2024

In Venezuela, for instance, bitcoin has emerged as a critical tool for citizens battling hyperinflation, offering a more stable and accessible means to preserve their savings. —Susie Violet Ward, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024

Just days ago, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned that the country, where three-quarters of the population lies below the poverty line, is headed for hyperinflation. —Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 27 Mar. 2023

Advocates like Anita Posch, founder of Bitcoin for Fairness, are at the forefront of this movement, emphasizing bitcoin's role as a tool for freedom and human rights, particularly in countries facing dictatorships and hyperinflation. —Susie Violet Ward, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024

The government that recently sought the truth about his death cannot be the same one that tarnished his reputation—and caused hyperinflation and shortages that people would rather forget. —Gisela Salim-Peyer, The Atlantic, 17 Feb. 2024

While moderate inflation is completely normal and even signifies a strong economy, a high inflation rate—or hyperinflation—means that the value of our money has gone down. —Erica Jackson Curran, Parents, 28 Jan. 2024

As if to usher in Menem, a bout of hyperinflation broke out the month he was elected president. —Francisco Zalles, National Review, 11 Jan. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1880, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

hyperinflation

noun

hy·​per·​in·​fla·​tion -in-ˈflā-shən 

: inflation that increases very quickly over a short period of time

Medical Definition

hyperinflation

noun

hy·​per·​in·​fla·​tion ˌhī-pə-rin-ˈflā-shən 

: excessive inflation (as of the lungs)