inertia

American  

[in-ur-shuh, ih-nur-] / ɪnˈɜr ʃə, ɪˈnɜr- /

noun

1. inertness, especially with regard to effort, motion, action, and the like; inactivity; sluggishness.

   Synonyms:

   laziness, inaction, torpor

2. Physics.

   1. the property of matter by which it retains its state of rest or its velocity along a straight line so long as it is not acted upon by an external force.

   2. an analogous property of a force.

      electric inertia.

3. Medicine/Medical. lack of activity, especially as applied to a uterus during childbirth when its contractions have decreased or stopped.

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inertia British  

/ ɪnˈɜːʃə, -ʃɪə /

noun

1. the state of being inert; disinclination to move or act

2. physics

   1. the tendency of a body to preserve its state of rest or uniform motion unless acted upon by an external force

   2. an analogous property of other physical quantities that resist change

      thermal inertia

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inertia Scientific  

/ ĭ-nûr′shə /

1. The resistance of a body to changes in its momentum. Because of inertia, a body at rest remains at rest, and a body in motion continues moving in a straight line and at a constant speed, unless a force is applied to it. Mass can be considered a measure of a body's inertia.

2. See more at Newton's laws of motion See also mass

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inertia Cultural  

1. In physics, the tendency for objects at rest to remain at rest, and for objects in uniform motion to continue in motion in a straight line, unless acted on by an outside force. (See Newton's laws of motion.)

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Other Word Forms

• inertial adjective
• noninertial adjective

Etymology

Origin of inertia

First recorded in 1705–15; from Latin: “lack of skill, slothfulness”; inert, -ia

Example Sentences

Those details would come amid the current inertia of the “no hire, no fire” job market, and as analysts watch for the impacts of AI on headcount.

From MarketWatch

After a customary bout of second half inertia, the Eagles managed to retake the lead with three minutes left.

From The Wall Street Journal

The editorial asserted that “next year cannot be navigated by relying on inertia,” and urged the country’s leadership “to focus on establishing a reliable and developed capital and financial market.”

From The Wall Street Journal

At everyday scales, motion is shaped by forces such as gravity and inertia, which depend on an object's volume.

From Science Daily

But he was sympathetic to the crowd’s inertia: “The stillness isn’t apathy,” Skybetter added.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• apathy
• laziness
• paralysis
• passivity
• sluggishness