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
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The producer price index tracks the changes in prices between producers, compared to the consumer price index, which tracks changes in consumer prices. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 22 May 2025 Inflation isn't bad now Consumers saw inflation hit a four-year low, as the consumer price index rose year-over-year by 2.3% in April, according to the May 13 report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Susan Tompor, USA Today, 20 May 2025 The deposit has not kept pace with inflation — five cents in 1971 would be equal to 40 cents today, according to the consumer price index’s inflation calculator — but many low-income residents rely on it. Claire Rush, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2025 The cost of electricity also remained at its peak in April, according to the latest data from the consumer price index. Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for consumer price index

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of consumer price index was in 1945

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Cite this Entry

“Consumer price index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consumer%20price%20index. Accessed 29 May. 2025.

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

More from Merriam-Webster on consumer price index

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