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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But core inflation has also been climbing, which is likely to make the central bank cautious about any quick cuts in interest rates. — Scott Horsley, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026 Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core inflation also rose. — ABC News, 30 Apr. 2026 The authors found tariffs have already had a measurable impact on inflation, specifically core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy prices. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 11 May 2026 But Thursday’s data suggested a broader problem across categories, with core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy costs, also ticking up last month. — Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 25 June 2026 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

Rhymes for core inflation

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Browse Nearby Words

Coreidae
core inflation
corelate
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Cite this Entry

“Core inflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/core%20inflation. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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