centripetal

adjective

cen·​trip·​e·​tal sen-ˈtri-pə-tᵊl How to pronounce centripetal (audio)
1
: proceeding or acting in a direction toward a center or axis
centripetal acceleration of a body
2
: afferent
centripetal nerves
3
: tending toward centralization : unifying
centripetal factors that hold the parts together
centripetally adverb

Examples of centripetal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
An informed Mishima reader encounters a singular challenge: dragging Mishima’s work out of the shadow of his final act, with its centripetal pull on the imagination, to assess it on its own merits. Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024 Illustration: Rhett Allain The gravitational force makes the planet accelerate and move around in a circle (centripetal acceleration). Rhett Allain, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2021 According to my coworkers, there's no better way to dry off tender herbs and lettuces than with the power of centripetal motion. Megan Wahn, Bon Appétit, 8 Oct. 2024 Also, the bigger the radius of the circle, the smaller the centripetal acceleration. Rhett Allain, Wired, 15 Oct. 2021 See all Example Sentences for centripetal 

Word History

Etymology

New Latin centripetus, from centr- + Latin petere to go to, seek — more at feather

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of centripetal was in 1705

Dictionary Entries Near centripetal

Cite this Entry

“Centripetal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centripetal. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

centripetal

adjective
cen·​trip·​e·​tal sen-ˈtrip-ət-ᵊl How to pronounce centripetal (audio)
: proceeding or acting in a direction toward a center or axis
centripetally adverb

Medical Definition

centripetal

adjective
cen·​trip·​e·​tal sen-ˈtrip-ət-ᵊl How to pronounce centripetal (audio)
: passing inward (as from a sense organ to the brain or spinal cord) : afferent
centripetally adverb
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