elasticity

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UK/ɪ.læsˈtɪs.ɪ.ti/US[ɪ.læsˈtɪs.ɪ.ɾi]US/ɛl.æsˈtɪs.ɪ.ti/US[ɛɫ.æsˈtɪs.ɪ.ɾi]

noun

The property by virtue of which a material deformed under load can regain its original dimensions when unloaded

“If the sales of an item drop by 5% when the price increases by 10%, its price elasticity is −0.5.”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounelasticity (countable and uncountable, plural elasticities)

plural elasticities

  1. countableuncountablenatural sciencesThe property by virtue of which a material deformed under load can regain its original dimensions when unloaded
  2. countableuncountableeconomicsThe sensitivity of changes in a quantity with respect to changes in another quantity.

    If the sales of an item drop by 5% when the price increases by 10%, its price elasticity is −0.5.

    1 more example

    Given elasticity of demand, there is a strong argument that filling the millions of empty seats through lower fares could actually increase revenue.

    2022 November 30, Anthony Lambert, “Rail fares fit for the 21st century”, in RAIL, number 971, page 43
  3. countableuncountablecomputingA measure of the flexibility of a data store's data model and clustering capabilities.
  4. countableuncountablecomputingA system's ability to adapt to changes in workload by automatically provisioning and de-provisioning resources.
  5. countableuncountablemathematicsThe ratio of the relative change in a function's output with respect to the relative change in its input, for infinitesimal changes at a certain point.

    Synonyms: point elasticity

  6. countableuncountableThe quality of being elastic.
  7. countableuncountableAdaptability.

    Her elasticity allowed her to recover quickly.

    1 more example

    "I'll have a try at it, Gladys, if you will only give me an idea what would please you." She laughed at the elasticity of my character.

    1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe ratio of the relative change in a function's output with respect to the relative change in its input, for infinitesimal changes at a certain point.

More synonyms by meaning

nounthe tendency of a body to return to its original shape after it has been stretched or compressed

Similar
Opposite

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₁elh₂-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₁l̥h₂-tós
  3. Ancient Greekἐλᾰστός (elăstós)
  4. New Latinelasticu
  5. Frenchélastique
  6. Englishelastic
  7. Englishelasticity

From elastic + -ity.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian еластичност, еластичност
  • еластичност (elastičnost)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • еластичност (elastičnost)quality of being elastic
Catalan elasticitat, elasticitat
  • elasticitatphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elasticitatquality of being elastic
Chinese Cantonese 彈性 /弹性
  • 彈性 /弹性physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Chinese Mandarin 彈性 /弹性
  • 彈性 /弹性 (tánxìng)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Czech pružnost
  • pružnostphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Danish elasticitet, elasticitet
  • elasticitetphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elasticitetquality of being elastic
Dutch elasticiteit
  • elasticiteitphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Finnish kimmoisuus, elastisuus
  • kimmoisuusphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elastisuusphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • joustoeconomics: sensitivity of a variable to changes in another variable
  • joustavuusquality of being elastic
  • kimmoisuusquality of being elastic
  • elastisuusquality of being elastic
French élasticité, élasticité
  • élasticitéphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • élasticitéeconomics: sensitivity of a variable to changes in another variable
German Elastizität, Elastizität
  • Elastizitätphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • Elastizitätquality of being elastic
Greek ελαστικότητα
  • ελαστικότητα (elastikótita)quality of being elastic
Hebrew גְּמִישׁוּת
  • גְּמִישׁוּת (gmishút)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Hindi प्रत्यास्थता
  • प्रत्यास्थता (pratyāsthatā)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Hungarian rugalmasság, ruganyosság
  • rugalmasságphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • ruganyosságphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • rugalmasságeconomics: sensitivity of a variable to changes in another variable
Indonesian keelastisan, elastisitas
  • keelastisanphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elastisitasphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Irish leaisteachas, leaisteachas
  • leaisteachasphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • leaisteachaseconomics: sensitivity of a variable to changes in another variable
  • leaisteachasquality of being elastic
Italian elasticità
  • elasticitàphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Japanese 弾力性, 弾性
  • 弾力性 (danryokusei)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • 弾性 (dansei)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Korean 탄력성
  • 탄력성 (tallyeokseong)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Malay kekenyalan, keanjalan
  • kekenyalanphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • keanjalanphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • keelastikanphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Norwegian Bokmål elastisitet, elastisitet
  • elastisitetphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elastisitetquality of being elastic
Polish sprężystość, elastyczność
  • sprężystośćphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elastycznośćphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Portuguese elasticidade, elasticidade
  • elasticidadephysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elasticidadequality of being elastic
Romanian elasticitate, elasticitate
  • elasticitatephysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elasticitatequality of being elastic
Russian эласти́чность, упру́гость
  • эласти́чность (elastíčnostʹ)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • упру́гость (uprúgostʹ)quality of being elastic
  • эласти́чность (elastíčnostʹ)quality of being elastic
Spanish elasticidad, elasticidad
  • elasticidadphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elasticidadquality of being elastic
Swedish elasticitet, tänjbarhet
  • elasticitetphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • tänjbarhetphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • töjbarhetphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Tagalog naynay, paigkas
  • naynayphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • paigkasquality of being elastic
  • balintangquality of being elastic
Thai สภาพยืดหยุ่น, ความยืดหยุ่น
  • สภาพยืดหยุ่น (sà-pâap-yʉ̂ʉt-yùn)physics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • ความยืดหยุ่น (kwaam-yʉ̂ʉt-yùn)economics: sensitivity of a variable to changes in another variable
  • ความยืดหยุ่น (kwaam-yʉ̂ʉt-yùn)quality of being elastic
Turkish esneklik, elastikiyet
  • esneklikphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elastikiyetphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elastisitephysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
  • elastiklikphysics: property by which a material can regain its original dimensions
Ukrainian еластичність
  • еластичність (elastyčnistʹ)economics: sensitivity of a variable to changes in another variable

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with elasticity

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

elasticity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elasticity

MLA

“elasticity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elasticity. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elasticity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elasticity.

Source: elasticity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.