SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

inflationary spiral

noun

Definition of inflationary spiral

: a continuous rise in prices that is sustained by the tendency of wage increases and cost increases to react on each other

First Known Use of inflationary spiral

1931

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up inflationary spiral? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

WORD OF THE DAY

nobby

play

cleverly stylish

Words at Play

2-pairs-of-scissors

What's the Singular of 'Scissors'?

A tricky, double-edged word origin.

a-woman-waits-at-the-end-of-a-gloomy-pier-does-she-wait-for-charon-the-ferryman-to-the-underworld-it-is-dark-but-she-carries-a-parasol

Great Words for Twilight and Darkness

Words for the goth in all of us

bunch-of-yellow-balloons-lit-by-the-sun

Helium: This Word Brought to You by a Solar Eclipse

And by the Sun, with some help from Greek.

watercolor-squares

We're Down With You Being—or Your Being?—a Square

It's about (you? your?) having your say.

Ask the Editors

video-title-words-of-the-year-1066

Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless

Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals

Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

time-traveler-quiz-which-word-came-first

Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

Take the quiz

Name More Food!

Test your knowledge of food vocabulary!

Take the quiz

Name That Thing

Name That Thing

Test your visual vocabulary with our 10-question challenge!

Take the quiz

Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game