inelastic

[ in-i-las-tik ]
See synonyms for: inelasticinelasticity on Thesaurus.com

adjective
  1. not elastic; lacking flexibility or resilience; unyielding.

  2. Economics. relatively unresponsive to changes, as demand when it fails to increase in proportion to a decrease in price.: Compare elastic (def. 6).

Origin of inelastic

1
First recorded in 1740–50; in-3 + elastic

Other words for inelastic

Other words from inelastic

  • in·e·las·tic·i·ty [in-i-la-stis-i-tee], /ˌɪn ɪ læˈstɪs ɪ ti/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use inelastic in a sentence

  • First, the state is relatively inelastic, meaning that it tends not to swing as much as the country as a whole does.

    Will Georgia Turn Blue? | Nate Silver (nrsilver@fivethirtyeight.com) | October 14, 2020 | FiveThirtyEight
  • The third result of undue disregard of distance is a certain inelasticity of industrial conditions.

  • A certain inelasticity of mind showed itself also in the way in which he approached the work of translation.

  • One of its great advantages is its inelasticity, which prevents the overrunning of gear worked by it.

    The Romance of Modern Mechanism | Archibald Williams
  • The most serious evils of inelasticity in this country are seen in connection with the annual handling of the crops.

    Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur Phillips

British Dictionary definitions for inelastic

inelastic

/ (ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪk) /


adjective
  1. not elastic; not resilient

  2. physics (of collisions) involving an overall decrease in translational kinetic energy

Derived forms of inelastic

  • inelastically, adverb
  • inelasticity (ˌɪnɪlæsˈtɪsɪtɪ), noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012