centrifugal force

noun

: the apparent force that is felt by an object moving in a curved path that acts outwardly away from the center of rotation compare centripetal force

Examples of centrifugal force in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Abiy’s fundamental challenge is that the centrifugal forces in Ethiopia have grown stronger than the centripetal ones. Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2021 Meanwhile, centrifugal force beckons the balls to the dip in the concave disc’s center. Emily Watlington, ARTnews.com, 20 Dec. 2024 These are stable regions in space where the gravitational forces of two large celestial bodies (in this case, the sun and Earth) and the centrifugal force of an orbiting object are balanced. Jess Thomson, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024 Switching between terminals is performed simply by grasping the housing in the middle, then flicking your wrist and letting centrifugal force do the work. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 28 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for centrifugal force 

Word History

First Known Use

1698, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of centrifugal force was in 1698

Dictionary Entries Near centrifugal force

Cite this Entry

“Centrifugal force.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centrifugal%20force. Accessed 8 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

centrifugal force

noun
: the force that tends to cause a thing or parts of a thing to go outward from a center of rotation

More from Merriam-Webster on centrifugal force

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