quiescent

[ kwee-es-uhnt, kwahy- ]

adjective

1. being at rest; inactive or motionless; quiet; still:

   a quiescent mind.

   Synonyms: latent, dormant, inert, inactive

quiescent

/ kwɪˈɛsənt /

adjective

1. quiet, inactive, or dormant

Derived Forms

• quiˈescence, noun
• quiˈescently, adverb

Other Words From

• qui·es·cent·ly adverb
• qui·es·cence [kwee-, es, -, uh, ns, kwahy-], qui·es·cen·cy noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of quiescent¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from Latin quiēscent- (stem of quiēscēns, present participle of quiēscere ), equivalent to qui-, base meaning “rest, quiet” + -ēsc- inchoative suffix + -ent- -ent

Word History and Origins

Origin of quiescent¹

C17: from Latin quiescere to rest

Example Sentences

When cells shift from active to quiescent states, the presence and abundance of certain proteins important to metabolism change.

From Science Daily

Through most of their lives, these black holes are quiescent, sitting quietly while matter orbits around them, and having little impact on the galaxy as a whole.

From Science Daily

Rather, it’s a list of the Israeli prime minister’s long-held and often contradictory positions on the Gaza conflict — committed to writing to keep his government together, the Israeli population quiescent, and Washington at bay.

From Seattle Times

Grossniklaus' team has now shown that the quiescent egg cell is also in this phase.

From Science Daily

Thanks to this setup, they could observe that particles tend to oscillate as they settle in quiescent air.

From Science Daily