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.
Excluding volatile food and energy prices, core inflation picked up 0.2% on the month, with the annual rate moving to 2.9%, also matching the respective estimates. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 15 July 2025 Headline and core inflation rose 0.1% month-over-month apiece, matching estimates of 0.1% increases. Derek Saul, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025 The research firm estimates core inflation will peak at 3.8% in 2025. Paul Davidson, USA Today, 7 May 2025 The country's core inflation rate — which strips out food and energy costs — held steady at 2% compared to the same month of the previous year, and 0.1% higher than May. — Lim Hui Jie Good morning from Singapore. Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 1 July 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Core inflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/core%20inflation. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!