inertial
Americanadjective
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relating to or characterized by inertia or inactivity.
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Physics. of or relating to the Newtonian property of matter, according to which matter remains at rest or in motion in a straight line until acted upon by an external force.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The new agreement between theory and experiment has immediate relevance for inertial confinement fusion research.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
This exceptionally hard form of carbon is used to make the tiny capsules that hold fuel in inertial confinement fusion experiments.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
These so-called inertial navigation units, which range from the size of a matchbox to that of a Kleenex box, can be made for use in the air, on land, underground or underwater.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
The drones then travel long distances towards their target using gyroscopes that measure their speed, direction and position -- known as an "inertial navigation system".
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
She walked backward for several steps, her movement inertial, tipsy, and then disappeared down the telescoping tunnel.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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