inaction

noun

in·​ac·​tion (ˌ)i-ˈnak-shən 

: lack of action or activity : idleness

protesting the administration's inaction

Synonyms of inaction

• inertia

Examples of inaction in a Sentence

The protesters criticized the administration's inaction on environmental issues.

We must consider the consequences of continued inaction.

Recent Examples on the Web

Healthcare has trained generations of leaders to avoid the visible mistake more than the invisible cost of inaction. — Annette Logan-Parker, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026

For this class, federal action (or inaction) makes or breaks their communities and livelihoods, with their frustration channeled through abstinence in the political process. — Alex Rosado, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 June 2026

Several years of diplomatic inaction followed. — Scott Spires Britannica Editors June 23, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 June 2026

Lula also pushed back against Washington’s concerns over China’s expanding economic footprint in Latin America, arguing that the United States has ceded ground through inaction. — Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1707, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inaction

• abstraction
• attraction
• compaction
• contraction
• detraction
• diffraction
• distraction
• exaction
• extraction
• impaction
• infraction
• olfaction

Kids Definition

inaction

noun

in·​ac·​tion (ˈ)in-ˈak-shən 

: lack of action or activity : idleness