The Hindu Editorial (Inflation matrix) – Jan 18, 2025

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The Hindu Editorial (​Inflation matrix) – Jan 18, 2025:

1. inflation (noun) – simply meaning “cost of living”; increase of price level of goods & services and vice versa decrease of currency value.
2. matrix (noun) – systems and structures (by using that something grows or develops).
3. ring in (phrasal verb) – indicate, signify, signal, herald, usher in.
4. print (noun) – mark, level, record.
5. monetary policy (noun) – monetary policy refers to the use of monetary instruments under the control of the central bank to regulate magnitudes such as interest rates, money supply, and availability of credit with a view to achieving the ultimate objective of economic policy mentioned in the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
6. ease (verb) – decrease, lessen, diminish, reduce, lower.
7. mark (verb) – indicate, signify, represent, denote.
8. uptick (noun) – a small increase or upward trend.
9. Consumer Price Index (CPI) (noun) – The CPI looks at the basket of consumer goods and services and it measures the change in price of this basket over a period of time. To put it simply, the CPI monitors retail prices at a certain level for a particular commodity.
10. largely (adverb) – mostly, mainly, generally.
11. drive (verb) – cause to happen.
12. sequential (adjective) – constant, continuous, consecutive, serial, successive.
13. cooling (noun) – reducing, lessening, decreasing, declining.
14. food inflation (noun) – the condition of an increase in the wholesale price index of a necessary food item relative to the general index or the consumer price index (CPI) is referred to as food inflation. In layman’s language, it is basically the rise in the cost of an essential food item relative to the previous price.
15. moderate (verb) – reduce, ease, lessen, decrease.
16. cool (verb) – reduce, lessen, diminish, decrease.
17. household (noun) – family, house.
18. fork out (phrasal verb) – pay money (reluctantly).
19. spike (verb) – rise/increase sharply.
20. edible oil (noun) – cooking oil; fat of plant, animal or microbial origin, which is liquid at room temperature and is suitable for food use.
21. accelerate (verb) – increase, rise.
22. relatively (adverb) – to a certain extent/degree; comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, satisfactorily.
23. humble (adjective) – low, modest, simple.
24. moreover (adverb) – in addition to, besides, furthermore, additionally.
25. room (noun) – scope, chance, leeway, freedom, latitude, opportunity (for something to happen).
26. pass on to (phrasal verb) – to give/hand over/transfer something to someone, particularly after receiving/using it.
27. fade (verb) – fail, decline, vanish, wane.
28. growth impulse (noun) – an economic idea that involves lowering (excise) duties on consumer goods to encourage growth.
29. look through (phrasal verb) – examine, check, inspect, analyze, check out, take stock of.
30. volatile (adjective) – turbulent, unstable, unsteady, uncertain.
31. captain (noun) – leader, head, big gun.
32. admit (verb) – acknowledge, accept, agree.
33. keep out of (phrasal verb) – to avoid something; to prevent from being involved in something.
34. suffice (verb) – be enough, be sufficient, be adequate.
35. weightage (noun) – importance, significance, emphasis, priority, value (of something when compared with another thing).
36. in line with (phrase) – in alignment with, in accordance with, in agreement with.
37. private consumption or consumption expenditure (noun) – the spending by households (consumers) on goods and services, excluding new housing.
38. material (adjective) – significant, important, major, consequential, meaningful.
39. propensity (noun) – tendency, inclination, predisposition, readiness, disposition.
40. expectation (noun) – projection, prediction, indication, forecast, prognosis, speculation, calculation (of future events or trends).
41. central bank (noun) – the banking regulator of a county’s banking system. (e.g. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of India).
42. await (verb) – wait for.
43. durable (adjective) – strong, stable, substantial, lasting, long-lasting, persisting, continuing.
44. slash (verb) – cut, reduce, lower greatly.
45. call (noun) – decision, judgement, prediction.
46. tangible (adjective) – real, actual, solid, concrete, substantial, well defined.
47. measure (noun) – course of action, proceeding, procedure, step.
48. Inflationary/price pressures (noun) – the demand and supply-side pressures that can cause a rise in the general price level; cost-push inflation, hot-economy, deficit finance.
49. fiscal (adjective) – financial.
50. glide path (noun) – a serious of actions performed steadily to achieve a result.
51. tip the balance/scales (phrase) – be the decisive/deciding/determining factor; make the difference in such a way that something is likely to become successful; to change a situation in order to succeed in something doubtlessly.
52. rate cut (noun) – a decision by a central bank (like RBI in India) to reduce its main interest rate to the banks (like SBI, ICICI & etc in India) when these commercial banks get money from the central bank. Once this rate goes down, the banks are in a position to give loans at lower interest rates to individuals and the industry.
53. imponderable (adjective) – something difficult to assess/estimate.
54. compound (verb) – increase, intensify, heighten, complicate, aggravate, worsen, exacerbate.
55. trade-off (noun) – a situation in which you must choose between (balance) two things that are opposite or cannot be had at the same time; a compromise; swap, exchange.
56. South & North Block (noun) – South Block is a metonym of the Prime Minister’s Office. North Block is a metonym of the Ministry of Finance, India. (The Secretariat Building (consists North & South Block) or Central Secretariat is where the Cabinet Secretariat is housed, which administers the Government of India. The South Block houses the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of External Affairs). The North Block primarily houses the Ministry of Finance and the Home Ministry). (Metonym is used as an alternative for something else with which it is closely related/associated).
57. Mint Street (noun) – Reserve Bank of India is often known as Mint Street.
58. swift (adjective) – rapid, quick, speedy, fast, instant, prompt, immediate, sudden, expeditious.
59. unravel (noun) – fall apart, fail, collapse, go wrong.
60. vis-à-vis (preposition) – concerning, with regard to, in relation to, as/in comparison with, in connection with (Vis-à-vis from Latin via. French, means literally “face-to-face).
61. collateral (adjective) – attendant, accompanying, associated, related, connected, linked.
62. resurge (verb) – rise again suddenly.
63. nuanced (adjective) – delicate, subtle.
64. imperative (adjective) – vitally important, critical, essential, required, mandated, requisite, necessary, obligatory, binding, compulsory.
65. misstep (noun) – mistake, blunder, miscalculation, slipup, fault, error, false step.

Note : 

1. Click each one of the words above for their definition, more synonyms, pronunciation, example sentences, phrases, derivatives, origin and etc. from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/.

2. Definitions (elementary level) & Synonyms provided for the words above are my personal work and not that of Oxford University Press. Tentative definitions/meanings are provided for study purposes only and they may vary in a different context.  

3. This word list is for personal use only. Reproduction in any format and/or Commercial use of it is/are strictly prohibited.

The Hindu Editorial (​Inflation matrix) – Jan 18, 2025: