core inflation

noun

economics
: a measure of inflation that excludes items having volatile prices (such as fuel and food) from the price index being used
The Federal Reserve's past emphasis on core inflation, which strips food and energy from the price indexes in order to gauge the underlying trend of prices, has always confused both Wall Street and Main Street.James C. Cooper
compare headline inflation

Examples of core inflation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Friday’s data showed that German core inflation, which strips out food and energy prices, was at 2.9% in January, down markedly from the 3.3% print of December. Services inflation also eased slightly, coming in at 4% in January compared to December’s 4.1%. Sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 31 Jan. 2025 Japan’s Nikkei 225 index added 0.1% after a report showed that the country’s core inflation rate topped the central bank’s 2% target, paving the way for further interest rate increases. Stan Choe and Damian J. Troise, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2025 However, core inflation has actually risen recently, to a 2.9% annual rate for December, which is up from the 2.4% annual rate reported in September 2024. Simon Moore, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 Continued easing in core inflation is heartening to investors who worried inflation would reignite, especially because recent data showed the economy remained strong. Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for core inflation 

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of core inflation was in 1979

Dictionary Entries Near core inflation

Cite this Entry

“Core inflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/core%20inflation. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.

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