inelastic demand

Cultural  

1. Demand whose percentage change is less than a percentage change in price. For example, if the price of a commodity rises twenty-five percent and demand decreases by only two percent, demand is said to be inelastic. (See elasticity.)

---

Example Sentences

While higher prices could trigger reduced buying or weaker demand in the near term, he expects limited substitutes and inelastic demand to cushion the impact.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026

The vast majority of people who hire lawn services will continue to do so; i.e., inelastic demand.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 31, 2022

Every straight-line demand curve has a range of elasticities starting at the top left, high prices, with large elasticity numbers, elastic demand, and decreasing as one goes down the demand curve, inelastic demand.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

Both goods are considered by the consumer to have few substitutes and thus have inelastic demand curves, elasticities less than one.

From Textbooks • Nov. 29, 2017

Basic economics tells us that sellers facing inelastic demand will continuously raise prices until prices reach the elastic portion of the demand curve.

From New York Times • Jan. 4, 2017