inertia

noun

in·er·tia | \ i-ˈnər-shə

, -shē-ə \

Definition of inertia

1a : a property of matter by which it remains at rest or in uniform motion in the same straight line unless acted upon by some external force

b : an analogous property of other physical quantities (such as electricity)

2 : indisposition to motion, exertion, or change : inertness

Other Words from inertia Synonyms & Antonyms Did you know? Example Sentences Phrases Containing inertia Learn More About inertia

Other Words from inertia

inertial \ i-ˈnər-shəl

, -shē-əl \ adjective

inertially \ i-ˈnər-sh(ə-)lē

\ adverb

Examples of inertia in a Sentence

He blames governmental inertia for the holdup. After 10 years in an unsatisfying job she overcame her inertia and went back to school.

Recent Examples on the Web This latter high tide is due to inertia, as Earth itself is pulled slightly toward the moon. — Manasee Wagh, Popular Mechanics, 28 Apr. 2022 The immense agency simply has too much inertia, experts charge, to allow for significant change — as evidenced by dead-end attempts to reduce the number of institutes or fund more aggressive research proposals. — Lev Facher, STAT, 25 Mar. 2022 This inertia helps power plants dampen slight variations in power instead of transferring them to the rest of the grid. — Anna Blaustein, Scientific American, 23 Mar. 2022 This relative inertia marks a significant change from the last couple of years, anyway. — Caroline Framke, Variety, 23 Mar. 2022 Overcoming this inertia and resistance to change is difficult, especially since this resistance is often not entirely conscious. — Scott Gilbertson, Wired, 1 Jan. 2022 Simon liked to say that The Wire was not about corruption (with stray exceptions like state senator Clay Davis), but rather institutionalized inertia. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 20 Apr. 2022 This stunning collision between unexpected excellence and inescapable inertia really happened, in the heart of the city from the late 1980s into the 1990s, at the James P. Timilty Middle School. — Globe Staff, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Apr. 2022 But in the rush to remote work, many organizations fell victim to the inertia of tradition and missed the opportunity to design work to fit specific needs of the business and remote employees themselves. — Keahn Gary, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2022 See More

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