inelastic
Americanadjective
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not elastic; lacking flexibility or resilience; unyielding.
- Synonyms:
- uncompromising, rigid, inflexible
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Economics. relatively unresponsive to changes, as demand when it fails to increase in proportion to a decrease in price.
adjective
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not elastic; not resilient
-
physics (of collisions) involving an overall decrease in translational kinetic energy
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of inelastic
Explanation
Things that are inelastic are stiff and unbendable. Metal is often inelastic, while rubber generally isn't. If something's elastic, it's flexible and can easily bend back to its original shape. Inelastic is the opposite: Silly Putty is elastic, but a wooden block is inelastic. This adjective is also used figuratively in economics to mean "not changing much in response to variables." If the price of wheat always stayed the same, no matter what, it would be considered inelastic.
Vocabulary lists containing inelastic
Engineering - Introductory
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Economics
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Mechanical Engineering
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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.
Demand is what economists call inelastic, meaning it doesn't respond to price signals.
From BBC • May 28, 2026
But as Te Haumihiata Mason, a translator working in Māori, points out to Mr. Hahn, in New Zealand few plants bud in May, so an inelastic approach here risks puzzling the audience.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
“The likelihood of a prolonged period of higher energy prices, decelerating credit card data and channel checks have investors skeptical on how inelastic air travel demand can be,” he added.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 5, 2026
I’m also positive on Vital Farms, the market leader in pasture-raised eggs—an inelastic product at grocery stores.
From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025
Revenue at that time had almost touched bottom, and was very inelastic; and Mr. Nelson followed the example of his immediate predecessor in keeping a tight hand upon expenditure.
From Our First Half-Century: A Review of Queensland Progress Based Upon Official Information by Queensland
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.
