consumer price index

noun

: an index measuring the change in the cost of typical wage-earner purchases of goods and services expressed as a percentage of the cost of these same goods and services in some base period

called also cost-of-living index

Examples of consumer price index 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.
The consumer price index climbed to 2.6% last month since the same time last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday. Rob Wile, NBC News, 13 Nov. 2024 The consumer price index, another key inflation measure, was up 2.4% annually in September, according to the BLS — a 0.1 percentage point slowdown from August and the smallest annual reading since February 2021. Rocio Fabbro, Quartz, 7 Nov. 2024 The consumer price index was up 2.4% in September year-over-year. Susan Tompor, Detroit Free Press, 6 Nov. 2024 Last month, the U.S. consumer price index (CPI) topped expectations with the core index that excludes food and energy rising 0.3% and ending a run of lower readings. Billy Bambrough, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for consumer price index 

Word History

First Known Use

1945, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of consumer price index was in 1945

Dictionary Entries Near consumer price index

Cite this Entry

“Consumer price index.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consumer%20price%20index. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Legal Definition

consumer price index

noun
consumer price in·​dex
: an index measuring the change in the cost of typical wage-earner purchases of goods and services in some base period

called also cost-of-living index

More from Merriam-Webster on consumer price index

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!