headline head‧line [ˈhedlaɪn] adjective
1. headline figure/rate ECONOMICS in Britain, a figure that shows the general level of inflation, including mortgage payments (= repayments on a loan for buying a house):
• The headline rate of inflation is being pushed towards 4% by higher mortgage costs.
— compare underlying 2. headline trading/investment FINANCE when a person or company trades or invests on the basis of information they get from the news
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headline UK US /ˈhedlaɪn/ adjective [before noun] UK ECONOMICS
► a headline figure, number, or rate includes everything that affects it: »
If you take the headline figure for personal borrowing of £1,000 bn, it looks a bit scary.
»The new investment deal offers a headline rate of 6.9% before tax, 5.52% net.
Financial and business terms. 2012.