inelastic

[ in-i-las-tik ]

adjective

1. not elastic; lacking flexibility or resilience; unyielding.

   Synonyms: uncompromising, rigid, inflexible

2. Economics. relatively unresponsive to changes, as demand when it fails to increase in proportion to a decrease in price. Compare elastic ( def 6 ).

inelastic

/ ˌɪnɪlæsˈtɪsɪtɪ; ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪk /

adjective

1. not elastic; not resilient
2. physics (of collisions) involving an overall decrease in translational kinetic energy

Derived Forms

• inelasticity, noun
• ineˈlastically, adverb

Other Words From

• in·e·las·tic·i·ty [in-i-la-, stis, -i-tee], noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inelastic¹

First recorded in 1740–50; in- ³ + elastic

Example Sentences

Further verification of this discovery came through 'polarization-resolved resonant inelastic x-ray scattering', where the magnetic excitations were revealed to significantly deviate from the behaviors anticipated for those in conventional magnets.

From Science Daily

"In our latest study, we examine the potential effects that a dark photon could have on the complete set of experimental results from the deep inelastic scattering process," said Professor Thomas.

From Science Daily

Trump doesn't look like a loser, because voting in the US is almost completely inelastic: there are very few "true" swing voters.

From Salon

It doesn't change the long-term equation much either: Biden only did two points better than Clinton in 2020, which is indicative of how inelastic the vote is.

From Salon

Lambda particles have been studied before, but in the new paper, the researchers relied on a special process called semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering to create them inside a nucleus.

From Scientific American