inflation

inflation - a general and progressive increase in prices; "in inflation everything gets more valuable except money" rising prices cost-pull inflation - inflation caused by an increase in the costs of production demand-pull inflation - inflation caused by an increase in demand or in the supply of money economic process - any process affecting the production and development and management of material wealth reflation - inflation of currency after a period of deflation; restore the system to a previous state stagflation - a period of slow economic growth and high unemployment (stagnation) while prices rise (inflation) deflation - a contraction of economic activity resulting in a decline of prices disinflation - a reduction of prices intended to improve the balance of payments
	2.	inflation - (cosmology) a brief exponential expansion of the universe (faster than the speed of light) postulated to have occurred shortly after the big bang cosmogeny, cosmogony, cosmology - the branch of astrophysics that studies the origin and evolution and structure of the universe blowup, detonation, explosion - a violent release of energy caused by a chemical or nuclear reaction
	3.	inflation - lack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous and puffed up with vanity ostentatiousness, pomposity, pompousness, pretentiousness,splashiness, ostentation, puffiness inelegance - the quality of lacking refinement and good taste
	4.	inflation - the act of filling something with air enlargement, expansion - the act of increasing (something) in size or volume or quantity or scope deflation - the act of letting the air out of something