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

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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 inertia is primarily a result of the fact that not everyone is convinced smart meters may be the answer. — Kuwar Singh, Quartz India, "Can smart meters re-energise India’s crumbling power distribution companies?," 18 June 2019 There is a kind of inertia, now, produced by the mere weight of all of these projects, which seemed poised to deliver us somewhere else. — Vogue, "Big Little Lies Is Campier, Funnier, and Better Than Ever," 6 June 2019 The flywheel gives pedaling a realistic sense of inertia. — James Lynch, Popular Mechanics, "PM Approved: Kickr Smart Bike Trainer," 29 Jan. 2019 The inertia brings about the kind of symbolic transformation common to the collection: Their faces begin to lose shape and slip from their bodies. — Sam Sacks, WSJ, "Fiction: The Union of Death and Desire," 22 Nov. 2018 Past experience proves the budget’s inertia; change creates losers, and losers mobilise to resist. — The Economist, "The EU’s budget is being dragged into the 21st century," 5 May 2018 With the free agency of LeBron James looming over the entire franchise, the Cavs chose activity over inertia. — Rob Mahoney, SI.com, "Months Before LeBron's Free Agency, the Cavaliers Braced for the Worst," 29 June 2018 The Shed can be seen as an antidote to the boundless loneliness of the internet and the inertia of on-demand streaming. — Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, "Inside The Shed, Manhattan's New State-of-the-Art Cultural Venue," 12 Dec. 2018 The Superintendent of Criminal Investigations, Hideo Nishimura, was tall and even-featured and had probably been handsome in his youth, but the years at the desk showed in his growing corpulence and a certain slowness in breaking inertia. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Two unlikely cops are paired up to solve murders in a war-torn Tokyo in Ninth Step Station," 8 Dec. 2018

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.

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Last Updated

24 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for inertia

The first known use of inertia was in 1713

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More Definitions for inertia

inertia

noun

English Language Learners Definition of inertia

: lack of movement or activity especially when movement or activity is wanted or needed

: a feeling of not having the energy or desire that is needed to move, change, etc.

physics : a property of matter by which something that is not moving remains still and something that is moving goes at the same speed and in the same direction until another thing or force affects it

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

inertia

noun

in·er·tia | \ i-ˈnər-shə