deflation

noun

de·​fla·​tion di-ˈflā-shən 

ˌdē-

1

: an act or instance of deflating : the state of being deflated

2

: a contraction in the volume of available money or credit that results in a general decline in prices

3

: the erosion of soil by the wind

deflationary

di-ˈflā-shə-ˌner-ē 

ˌdē-

adjective

Examples of deflation in a Sentence

Economists worry that deflation will bring the country into recession.

Recent Examples on the Web

If the idea was to create extra tension by continually going back to zero and ramping up to 100 mph, the end result is merely a series of deflations that keeps slowing the momentum. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 24 Oct. 2025

China is dealing with entrenched deflation, record youth unemployment, and a real estate market that has halved in just four years. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 16 Oct. 2025

China’s consumer prices fell more than expected in September, while the deflation in producer prices persisted, underscoring the impact of sluggish domestic demand and trade worries on consumer and business sentiment. —Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2025

This is what Gerli calls deflation. —Giulia Carbonaro, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1891, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for deflation

• ablation
• bination
• carnation
• cassation
• castration
• causation
• centration
• cessation
• cetacean
• chelation
• citation
• collation

Kids Definition

deflation

noun

de·​fla·​tion di-ˈflā-shən 

ˈdē-

1

: an act or instance of deflating : the state of being deflated

2

: a reduction in the volume of available money or credit resulting in a decline of the general price level

deflationary

-shə-ˌner-ē 

adjective