elastic
adjective
\
Definition of elastic
(Entry 1 of 2)
elastic
nounDefinition of elastic (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from elastic
Adjective
\
adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for elastic
Synonyms: Adjective
bouncy, flexible, resilient, rubberlike, rubbery, springy, stretch, stretchable, stretchy, supple, whippy
Antonyms: Adjective
inelastic, inflexible, nonelastic, rigid, stiff
Visit the Thesaurus for More
Examples of elastic in a Sentence
Adjective
when vacationing, we generally have very elastic daily sightseeing plansNoun
She wrapped an elastic around the cards.Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
Another potential factor is that structural components in your jaw, like ligaments, just happen to be extra-elastic and allow the lower half of your jaw to shift down more than normal, which might cause a popping sound, Dr. Voigt says. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Uh, Is It a Problem If You Can 'Pop' Your Jaw?," 16 Nov. 2018 Lay out the fitted sheet on a completely flat surface, elastic band facing up. — Heather Finn, Good Housekeeping, "Here's Exactly How to Fold a Fitted Sheet, According to Marie Kondo," 8 Feb. 2019 Really strong were the boxer shorts and vests inlaid with panels of shirred elastic that were aesthetically pleasing, comfortable (the models attested), and consistent with the designer’s interesting point of focus. — Luke Leitch, Vogue, "London Newcomer Bianca Saunders Braves the In-Between of Modern Masculine Stereotypes," 9 Jan. 2019 Both the cuffs and hood perimeter are wrapped in elastic, rather than velcro or drawcords, to cut weight and maximize packability. — Wes Siler, Outside Online, "The Hardshell Jacket of Your Ultralight Dreams," 24 May 2018 Tie off the ends with a clear elastic, and unclip the rest of your hair. — Rachel Epstein, Marie Claire, "Here's Exactly How to Create This Insanely Cool Coachella Braid," 21 Apr. 2018 Then, replace the mixing paddle with the dough hook attachment. Knead the pizza dough on low to medium speed using the dough hook until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. — Debbie Arrington, sacbee, "Pizza on the menu for Super Bowl Sunday? Here’s how to elevate your game," 30 Jan. 2018 The premier, who sympathizes with the euroskeptic 5-Star Movement, the government's main partner, indicated that Italian authorities had been too elastic in granting humanitarian protection. — Frances D'emilio, Fox News, "Italy tightens eligibility for migrant protection," 24 Sep. 2018 For the actual ponytail, Justine rubbed R+Co Pomade into her hands, then secured the top half of Maddie's hair with an elastic from Kitsch. — Zoë Weiner, Teen Vogue, "Teen Choice Awards 2018: Maddie Ziegler Wore a Scrunchie on the Red Carpet," 13 Aug. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
However, instead of just one big ponytail sectioned off into puffs with rubber bands, he's divided his hair into several smaller ones, complete with green, red, and yellow elastics. — Sharine Taylor, Allure, "For These Dancehall Artists, Hair Is Just as Important as the Music," 27 Sep. 2018 Plus, the soft material is far easier on your hair than tight elastics. — refinery29.com, "The Unexpected '90s Trend That Celebs Are Loving," 20 June 2018 Try to avoid tight hair ties, like elastics, that week, which could put extra stress on the hair. — Loren Savini, Allure, "The Best Products and Techniques for Strengthening Breakage-Prone Hair," 23 May 2018 Jazz up a ponytail or a half-up, half-down style with one of these soft elastics (the Cut staff is already obsessed). — Ashley Weatherford, The Cut, "The Best Spring Hair Accessory Trends," 17 Apr. 2018 Add colored elastics into her hair to add a fun touch to this versatile updo. — Sasha Henriques, Woman's Day, "The 10 Best Back-to-School Hairstyles for Kids," 25 July 2017 These are high-brow and highly enjoyable alternatives to generic elastics that wind around hair and are a pain to take out. — Shannon Barbour, The Cut, "Silk Scrunchies Are Here," 13 Mar. 2018 Flip the tail ends up, tuck them in between your head and the clear elastics, and pull them out through the bottom to create the topsy tails. — Brooke Shunatona, Cosmopolitan, "15 Super-Easy Hairstyles for Lazy Girls Who Can't Even," 12 Dec. 2017 Friendships should be enduring and flexible like rubber bands, but sometimes elastics snap. — Jessica Ariel Wendroff, Teen Vogue, "5 Signs It's Time to Break Up With Your BFF," 2 Nov. 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'elastic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for elastic
elastic
adjectiveFinancial Definition of elastic
What It Is
Something is elastic when its price varies with the price of another item. It the business world, the term most often refers to how much the price of a good or service changes when the supply of that good or service changes.
The formula for elasticity is:
Elasticity = % Change in Quantity/% Change in Price
How It Works
Let's assume that when gas prices increase by 50%, gas purchases fall by 25%. Using the formula above, we can calculate that the price elasticity of gasoline is:
Elasticity = -25%/50% = -0.50
Thus, we can say that for every percentage point that gas prices increase, gas purchases decrease by half a percentage point. The price of gas is elastic.
Why It Matters
If demand changes a lot when prices change a little, the demand for a product is elastic. This often is the case for products or services for which there are many alternatives or for which consumers are price sensitive.
The opposite is also true: When there is a small change in demand when prices change a lot, the product is inelastic. This is often the case for products and services that people consider necessities and will purchase at almost any price. The presence of few good substitutes and the presence of customer loyalty are also factors. At some point, however, there is a price at which demand for any good or service will fall to zero or near zero.
Source: Investing Answers
elastic
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of elastic
(Entry 1 of 2)
elastic
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of elastic (Entry 2 of 2)
See the full definition for elastic in the English Language Learners Dictionary
elastic
adjective
\
Kids Definition of elastic
(Entry 1 of 2)
elastic
nounKids Definition of elastic (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
elastic
adjective
\
Medical Definition of elastic
(Entry 1 of 2)
Other Words from elastic
\
adverb
elastic
nounMedical Definition of elastic (Entry 2 of 2)
Keep scrolling for more
Comments on elastic
What made you want to look up elastic? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Test Your Vocabulary
A Green Quiz
-
- What is the best definition of green-eyed monster?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
TAKE THE QUIZ
Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.
TAKE THE QUIZLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridgedWords at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games
-
A Green Quiz
How many questions can you answer about the word "green"?
Take the quiz -
Return of Name that Color!
Additional colors! More obscure than before!
Take the quiz -
How Strong Is Your Vocabulary?
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Take the quiz -
Word Winder's CrossWinder
Play the game
Share elastic
Resources for elastic