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
James C. CooperExamples of core inflation in a Sentence
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South Korea's Kospi hit another record, while Japan's Nikkei 225 climbed amid data showing the country's core inflation rose in September, as expected.
—Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
That moved the annual core inflation rate to 3%.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
The Department of Labor has handed President Donald Trump a mixed set of inflation figures, with core inflation ticking down but the annual headline rate rising thanks to higher gas prices.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
August’s inflation hit 2.9%, according to figures released by the Labor Department last week, with core inflation—minus more volatile food and energy costs—at 3.1%.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
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Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
That moved the annual core inflation rate to 3%.
—Rachel Barber, USA Today, 24 Oct. 2025
The Department of Labor has handed President Donald Trump a mixed set of inflation figures, with core inflation ticking down but the annual headline rate rising thanks to higher gas prices.
—Hugh Cameron, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Oct. 2025
August’s inflation hit 2.9%, according to figures released by the Labor Department last week, with core inflation—minus more volatile food and energy costs—at 3.1%.
—Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for core inflation
Cite this Entry
“Core inflation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/core%20inflation. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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