inflationary

adjective

in·​fla·​tion·​ary in-ˈflā-shə-ˌner-ē 

: of, characterized by, or productive of inflation

inflationary policies

Examples of inflationary in a Sentence

He blames the bad economy on the government's inflationary policies.

Recent Examples on the Web

Berkshire Hathaway has built big stakes in Japanese trading houses, whose stocks are red hot amid Japan’s government bond sell-off and inflationary pressures. —John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026

Mass deporting migrants, brazenly axing federal grants and jobs, pursuing an inflationary trade war, risking the lives of soldiers to trouble the sovereignty of hemispheric neighbors—these things are shaking the everyday lives of Americans. —Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 20 Jan. 2026

Thanks to a consistent price, particularly during inflationary periods, silver can help your portfolio hedge against the corrosive impacts of inflation in a way that other assets cannot. —Matt Richardson, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026

And in some cases, such as state funding for nursing homes, inflationary hikes required by statute have been suspended for more than a decade. —Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1920, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing inflationary

• anti-inflationary
• counter-inflationary
• inflationary spiral

Rhymes for inflationary

• accretionary
• apothecary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary

Kids Definition

inflationary

adjective

in·​fla·​tion·​ary in-ˈflā-shə-ˌner-ē 

: of, relating to, or causing inflation

an inflationary policy