Final answer:
Inflation in the context of the Big Bang theory refers to a period of rapid expansion that occurred soon after the Big Bang.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the context of the Big Bang theory, inflation refers to a period of very rapid expansion that occurred shortly after the Big Bang. This rapid expansion is known as the inflationary universe. During this time, the universe experienced an extremely rapid increase in size, much faster than predicted by standard Big Bang models.