inaction

American  

[in-ak-shuhn] / ɪnˈæk ʃən /

noun

1. absence of action; idleness.

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inaction British  

/ ɪnˈækʃən /

noun

1. lack of action; idleness; inertia

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Etymology

Origin of inaction

First recorded in 1700–10; in- ³ + action

Example Sentences

“The fog of uncertainty in which we always operate cannot be an excuse for inaction.”

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s clear Angelenos are frustrated by decades of inaction on major issues,” Douglas Herman, a spokesperson for the Bass campaign, said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times

But inaction went poorly with her vigorous personality and one morning to everyone’s surprise she appeared for breakfast in the dining room precisely at 8:10, with the announcement that doctors were often wrong.

From Literature

Second, behavioral therapy outcomes should be audited with the costs of inaction in mind.

From The Wall Street Journal

Oliver, who attended the High Court hearing, set up her foundation after leaving Greater Manchester Police, where she was a whistleblower about the force's inaction over grooming gangs.

From BBC

Related Words

• inactivity
• inertia
• passivity
• stagnation