inflation
[C/U] Both
In an economic sense, this word carries a heavy weight of anxiety and instability. It describes a systemic erosion of value where the same amount of currency buys fewer goods over time, often triggering a sense of urgency or panic in financial planning and policy making. When used physically, the term evokes a sense of expansion and pressure. It suggests a transition from a flat or collapsed state to one of fullness and tension, whether referring to a rubber ball or a biological organ.
Uncountable when discussing the general economic phenomenon of rising prices. Countable when referring to specific instances or types of expansion, such as the inflation of several balloons.