inaction

in·ac·tion | \ (ˌ)i-ˈnak-shən

How to pronounce inaction (audio)

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Definition of inaction

: lack of action or activity : idleness

Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Learn More about inaction

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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 But as 2020 hurtles on, the left’s inaction increasingly stands out. — Casey Michel, The New Republic, "The Left’s Deafening Silence on China’s Ethnic Cleansing," 7 July 2020 Experts cited a variety of reasons, including poor medical literacy and government inaction. — Adam Taylor, Washington Post, "There was an effective vaccine. An outbreak struck anyway.," 7 July 2020 Conservative analyst Jed Babbin graded a C-, highlighting inaction over reports Russia offered bounties to Taliban fighters to kill U.S. troops. — Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner, "White House Report Card: July 4th reboots Trump campaign with war on ‘cancel culture’," 4 July 2020 McEnany did not challenge The Times’ reporting on the existence of the intelligence assessment, the National Security Council meeting, and the White House’s inaction. — Adam Goldman, BostonGlobe.com, "Trump denies briefing on reported bounties against US troops," 28 June 2020 At the start of June, dozens of Facebook employees participated in a virtual walkout protesting the company's inaction toward President Trump's social media posts that supported the use of police brutality. — Olivia Harrison, refinery29.com, "Ben & Jerry’s Joins The #StopHateForProfit Campaign & Announces Facebook Boycott," 24 June 2020 What permitted the grotesque reaction and inaction to COVID-19. — Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, "Stacey Abrams: Safeguarding voting rights fights the ‘virus’ of systemic racism," 18 June 2020 Mark Zuckerberg’s inaction ignited a revolt by Facebook staff: Some employees staged a virtual walkout, others criticized the CEO in a staff meeting, and at least one engineer resigned in protest. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, "The Silence of the Never Facebookers," 10 June 2020 Brazilian natives are fighting two enemies at once – the virus itself and political inaction, led by President Jair Bolsonaro, whose response to the pandemic has been widely criticized. — Fox News, "Fears for Brazil's indigenous tribes as coronavirus death toll continues to climb," 5 June 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'inaction.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about inaction

Dictionary Entries near inaction

in a compromising position

in a coon's age

Statistics for inaction

Last Updated

18 Jul 2020

Cite this Entry

“Inaction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inaction. Accessed 8 Aug. 2020.

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More Definitions for inaction

inaction

noun

English Language Learners Definition of inaction

: failure to do something that should be done : lack of action or activity

See the full definition for inaction in the English Language Learners Dictionary

inaction

in·ac·tion | \ i-ˈnak-shən

\

Kids Definition of inaction

: lack of action or activity Dove and Dusty were paralyzed into complete inaction.— Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain

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