Inflation
Inflation , noun
[Latin inflatio: compare French inflation.]
1.
The act or process of inflating, or the state of being inflated, as with air or gas; distention; expansion; enlargement. — Boyle
2.
The state of being puffed up, as with pride; conceit; vanity. — B. Jonson
3.
Persistent expansion or increase in the general level of prices, usually caused by overissue of currency, and resulting in a reduced value of the currency. It is contrasted with deflation, and is when it occurs to a very high degree is called hyperinflation. [United States]