Definition of inaction
: lack of action or activity : idleness
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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 of inaction from the Web
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Congressional inaction would leave in limbo the hundreds of thousands of young immigrants who arrived under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which Obama initiated and Trump canceled.
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Our action or inaction will dictate the future of our oceans and, subsequently, the future of our planet.
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Industries from oil to finance are starting to assess the risks of inaction on environmental issues.
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Only last week, 30 Republicans —a combination of moderates and conservatives — voted against the farm bill largely because of inaction on immigration.
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The whole case, according to Pierce, boiled down to Bailey's actions or inactions immediately prior to the fatal shooting.
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My father’s murder meant that my only choice was to speak out – and the inaction of our leaders who turn a blind eye to gun violence in our communities fueled my anger.
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The narrative carries considerable weight, partly because of the effort expended in understanding American action and inaction.
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So is Palmer’s bill, which wrests control of ITD’s director from its board and puts it under the governor, a response to inaction on Idaho 16?
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.
First Known Use of inaction
1707
inaction Synonyms
Synonyms
dormancy, idleness, inactivity, inertness, nonaction, quiescence;
Antonyms
Near Antonyms
animateness, briskness, exuberance, jazziness, liveliness, peppiness, robustness, sprightliness, vibrancy, vivacity;
assiduity, assiduousness, business, diligence, employment, industriousness, industry, occupation;
Related Words
indolence, inertia, languor, lassitude, laziness, lethargy, listlessness, shiftlessness, sleepiness, sloth, sluggishness;
INACTION Defined for English Language Learners
Definition of inaction for English Language Learners
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: failure to do something that should be done : lack of action or activity
INACTION Defined for Kids
Definition of inaction for Students
: lack of action or activity
- Dove and Dusty were paralyzed into complete inaction.
- —Esther Forbes, Johnny Tremain
Learn More about inaction
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See words that rhyme with inaction Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for inaction Spanish Central: Translation of inaction Nglish: Translation of inaction for Spanish speakers
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