inertial
Americanadjective
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relating to or characterized by inertia or inactivity.
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Physics. of or relating to the Newtonian property of matter, according to which matter remains at rest or in motion in a straight line until acted upon by an external force.
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.
It later became central to Albert Einstein's theory of gravity through the equivalence principle, which connects gravitational mass with inertial mass.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
Applying them to inertial confinement fusion may allow researchers to triple energy gain, while a clearer picture of diamond's behavior at high pressure could improve models of planetary interiors.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 20, 2026
The drones then travel long distances towards their target using gyroscopes that measure their speed, direction and position -- known as an "inertial navigation system".
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
Mario Paniccia, chief executive of Anello Photonics, wants to turn bulky and expensive inertial navigation systems into microchips cheap and small enough to fit inside a phone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 6, 2026
She walked backward for several steps, her movement inertial, tipsy, and then disappeared down the telescoping tunnel.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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