Mach's principle

noun

, Physics.

1. the proposition that there is no absolute space and that the inertia and acceleration of a body are determined by all of the matter of the universe.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Mach's principle¹

After E. Mach

Example Sentences

But Albert Einstein is actually the one who named this “Mach’s principle,” after reading Ernst Mach’s earlier musings on the subject.

From Scientific American

And so he has continued to try to apply Mach’s principle to spacecraft engines.

From Scientific American

Einstein took Mach’s Principle, as he called it, to mean that it should be impossible to solve his equations for the case of a solitary object.

From New York Times

If the cosmological constant couldn’t keep the universe still, then forget about it and Mach’s Principle, Einstein said.

From New York Times