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
Axios, 15 Mar. 2025
Meanwhile, the prospect of stagflation — meaning accelerating price increases alongside lackluster growth — has increased.
—Rob Wile, NBC News, 13 Mar. 2025
Widely followed strategist Ed Yardeni, one of the biggest bulls on Wall Street, lowered his market forecast, saying President Donald Trump’s tariffs raise the risk of stagflation.
—Yun Li, CNBC, 13 Mar. 2025
America’s souring economic mood comes at a time when the US economy has shown early signs of slowing, but also of stubbornly elevated inflation — a toxic combination sometimes referred to as stagflation.
—Bryan Mena, CNN, 7 Mar. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Stagflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stagflation. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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