stagflation
noun
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Stagflation is a portmanteau, that is, a word that blends two others (in this case, "stagnation" and "inflation"). The first documented use of the word appeared in 1965 in the writing of British politician Iain Macleod, who wrote, "We now have the worst of both worlds - not just inflation on the one side or stagnation on the other, but both of them together. We have a sort of 'stagflation' situation." Macleod is often credited with coining the term, and his linguistic invention was quickly embraced by economists in the United States, who used it to refer to the period of economic sluggishness and high inflation that affected the country in the 1970s.
Examples of stagflation in a Sentence
Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
In Japan, which relies on the Middle East for about 90% of its oil imports, the surge in crude prices combined with a weak yen raises the risk of stagflation.
—Erica Yokoyama, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026
The Middle East war, which has shown little sign of easing, may continue to push China’s producer prices higher at least through March, said Zhang, warning that a prolonged conflict risks tipping the global economy into stagflation.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 9 Mar. 2026
Given the persistent threat, the president of Yardeni Research hiked the probability of a stock market meltdown that includes 1970s-style stagflation to 35% this year from 20%.
—Jason Ma, Fortune, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for stagflation
Cite this Entry
“Stagflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagflation. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
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