inaction
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of inaction
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.
See Examples For:
Law-enforcement officials faced criticism for inaction in the investigation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
They requested a meeting to discuss long-term solutions for crossings to Anglesey and urged the issue to be prioritised after "years of inaction".
From BBC ● May 27, 2026
Glassman said the medical examiner’s update does not affect the civil case, which is about the district’s inaction in protecting a child in distress.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026
While the world is experiencing a surge of wars in the post-Second World War era, the current selection process is playing out against a backdrop of political and financial crisis, and accusations of inaction.
From Barron's ● May 14, 2026
Theresa analyzed the relative merits of action versus inaction until her choice seemed not so much between paths, as between going blindly left or right in a featureless wood.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
For them, the actions and inactions of the team this year have been indefensible.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2025
"Investigation of the actions or inactions of the army in the period before the bombing occurred is incomplete," the letter stated.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2024
From political unrest to social injustice, 2023 has been a year of eye-opening revelations, showing us the realities and consequences of our collective actions and inactions.
From Salon ● Dec. 26, 2023
“After decades of inactions, it’s time to reevaluate our basic approach,” Mr. Chabot told “The Washington Brief,” a monthly virtual event series hosted by The Washington Times Foundation.
From Washington Times ● Dec. 6, 2022
The actions or inactions of one solitary soul cannot bring the end of life, only the accumulation of the wrongs and injustices of a whole race, the human race.
From The Revolutions of Time by Dunn, Jonathan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
