Reinflation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of increasing prices or economic activity after a period of decline or low inflation ; the act of injecting capital or resources back into an economy to stimulate growth ; the economic condition characterized by rising consumer costs following deflation or recession
2. An event in which inflation rises again following a previous downturn or stagnation ; the deliberate effort to boost monetary supply or demand to elevate economic performance ; a situation marked by renewed increases in the overall price level after a slump
3. The renewal of inflationary pressures after a period of low or negative inflation ; the intervention to restore upward trends in prices or economic output ; the phase where the general cost of goods and services begins to climb anew after deflationary episodes

Etymology: Reinflation is about as transparent as English compounds get: the prefix "re-" ("again") attached to "inflation", the general rise in prices. Its meaning is a renewed round of price increases after a period when prices had been brought down or held steady, which is why economists tend to use it for a second wave following a deflationary or disinflationary phase. Nothing in its construction hides a surprise. The "re-" prefix is the productive one that English uses freely on existing nouns and verbs, so the word is best understood as a plain coinage built from two familiar parts rather than a term with a dramatic backstory.

Synonyms: re-expansion, re-inflation, inflation recovery

Antonyms: deflation, contraction, collapse