static

1 of 3

adjective

stat·​ic ˈsta-tik How to pronounce static (audio)
1
: exerting force by reason of weight alone without motion
2
: of or relating to bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium
3
: showing little change
a static population
4
a
: characterized by a lack of movement, animation, or progression
b
: producing an effect of repose or quiescence
a static design
5
a
: standing or fixed in one place : stationary
b
of water : stored in a tank but not under pressure
6
: of, relating to, or producing stationary charges of electricity : electrostatic
7
: of, relating to, or caused by radio static
statical adjective
statically adverb

static

2 of 3

noun

1
: noise produced in a radio or television receiver by atmospheric or various natural or man-made electrical disturbances
also : the electrical disturbances producing this noise
2
: heated opposition or criticism
staticky adjective

-static

3 of 3

adjective combining form

1
: of or relating to a position or state
orthostatic
2
: inhibiting the growth of
fungistatic

Examples of static in a Sentence

Adjective the static installation of the statue in that niche means that no one will ever see its back, which is also of interest Noun There was so much static on the radio we couldn't hear the broadcast. He was getting a lot of static about his decision.
Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
This type of training is known as isometric, or static, exercise, according to the Mayo Clinic. Kristen Rogers, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Each summer, hundreds of thousands of aviation enthusiasts gather in Oshkosh for the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh airshow, which has both static displays and flight demonstrations. Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 14 Mar. 2024 Best Laundry Products Tackle the big three of dirty laundry—stains, smells, and static—with these top-performing cleaners. Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Mar. 2024 Spitzer spent $150,000 to buy space on 10 static and electronic billboards along major freeways heading into Orange County from Los Angeles and Riverside counties, as well as on signs throughout Orange County, including one at The Outlets in Orange. Tony Saavedra, Orange County Register, 12 Mar. 2024 Google Doodles come in many formats, including static illustrations, animations, slideshows, videos and interactive games. Gabe Hauari, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2024 This has not changed, as the static gender gap in voter turnout in 2024 shows. Sarah Khan, Foreign Affairs, 5 Mar. 2024 And this all comes as many consumers are already expressing frustration with static fast-food prices, including $18 Big Mac meals, a concerning trend explored in greater detail by another of my Fortune colleagues, Sasha Rogelberg. Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 29 Feb. 2024 Normally, this would take up to an hour for a specialist to navigate through a complex system of static interfaces filled with buttons, filters and interactive menus, as well as send an email. Ilya Gandzeichuk, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024
Noun
Upon plugging it in, nothing but static came from the amp connected to Gay’s Squier Stratocaster. Spin Contributor, SPIN, 28 Feb. 2024 Our skin and hair felt more hydrated after just a few uses, and the static in our clothes disappeared. Rachel Ahrnsen, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Feb. 2024 Next, the researchers tested the grinding process, placing a Faraday cup under the grinder chute to measure how much electrical static accumulated on the ground beans, varying coffee varieties, roasting levels, and grind settings. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 Dec. 2023 Hendon thought reducing that static would be a good way to eliminate those clumps. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 6 Dec. 2023 This stops you from accidentally transferring any static to your SSD or Steam Deck’s motherboard and potentially frying them. Saira Mueller, WIRED, 3 Dec. 2023 The video images were ghostly, and the audio was filled with static. IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2023 Baristas and other coffee experts have long known that spraying beans with a bit of water or stirring them with a wet spoon helps reduce static during grinding. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Dec. 2023 According to the researchers, adding a spritz of water to the beans before grinding cuts static. Carolyn Y. Johnson, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'static.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

New Latin staticus, from Greek statikos causing to stand, skilled in weighing, from histanai to cause to stand, weigh — more at stand

Noun

static electricity

Adjective combining form

New Latin -staticus, from staticus

First Known Use

Adjective

1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1928, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of static was in 1640

Dictionary Entries Near static

Cite this Entry

“Static.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/static. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

static

1 of 2 adjective
stat·​ic ˈstat-ik How to pronounce static (audio)
1
: of or relating to bodies at rest or forces that are balanced
static friction
2
: showing little change
a static population
3
: marked by a lack of movement, liveliness, or progress
4
: of, relating to, or producing stationary charges of electricity (as those produced by friction)

static

2 of 2 noun
: noise produced in a radio or television receiver by atmospheric or electrical disturbances

Medical Definition

static

adjective
stat·​ic ˈstat-ik How to pronounce static (audio)
1
: characterized by a lack of movement or change
a static condition
2
statically adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on static

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