inelastic

adjective

in·​elas·​tic ˌi-nə-ˈla-stik 

: not elastic: such as

a

: inflexible, unyielding

b

: slow to react or respond to changing conditions

inelasticity

ˌi-ni-ˌla-ˈsti-s(ə-)tē 

(ˌ)i-ˌnē-ˌla-

noun

Examples of inelastic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After incorporating missing campaign data, our demand prediction accuracy improved by 4.2%, and elasticity estimates shifted by 71.2%, reclassifying many products from inelastic to low or medium elasticity categories. —Aleksandr Galkin, Forbes, 12 Sep. 2024

Eating inadequate protein can lead to muscle loss, inelastic skin, and thin fragile, hair, says Ingram. —Danielle Sinay, Glamour, 16 Aug. 2024

The story that follows is a delight, as Howard struggles to stretch his inelastic mind to accommodate the uncanny, and deal with it before his wife gets home. —Neil McRobert, Vulture, 20 May 2024

Norm Miller, University of San Diego NO: For essential (inelastic demand) goods, higher costs simply mean higher prices. —Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1748, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing inelastic

• inelastic collision
• inelastic scattering

Kids Definition

inelastic

adjective

in·​elas·​tic ˌin-ə-ˈlas-tik 

: not elastic : slow to respond to changing conditions

inelasticity

ˌin-i-ˌlas-ˈtis-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

inelastic

adjective

in·​elas·​tic ˌin-i-ˈlas-tik 

: not elastic

inelasticity

-i-ˌlas-ˈtis-ət-ē, -ˌē-ˌlas-, -ˈtis-tē 

noun

plural inelasticities