inelastic

I1N1E1L1A1S1T1I1C3
US/ˌɪnəˈlæstɪk/

adjective

Lacking elasticity; inflexible, unyielding.

“perfectly inelastic supply”

Opposite
Less commonScrabble 11

Meanings

adjectiveinelastic (comparative more inelastic, superlative most inelastic)

comparative more inelastic · superlative most inelastic

  1. literal or figurativeLacking elasticity; inflexible, unyielding.

    I cannot believe that Christ himself intended that his religion should be so inelastic, so hard and fast, so cruel as you imply.

    1913, Winston Churchill, The Inside Of The Cup
    1 more example

    He spoke languidly, and only those few words, like a watch with an inelastic spring, that just ticks a moment or two and stops again.

    1852, Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance
  2. economicsInsensitive to changes in price.

    perfectly inelastic supply

    1 more example

    A different approach is needed now, as there is more discretionary travel which, unlike the use of season tickets, does not have inelastic demand characteristics.

    2023 April 3, 'Industry Insider', “Passengers returning to rail”, in RAIL, number 1006, page 68
  3. USgovernmentResistant to swings during elections; predictable.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivenot elastic

Opposite

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*né
  2. Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
  3. Proto-Italic*n̥-
  4. Latinin-
  5. Middle Englishin-
  6. Englishin-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*h₁elh₂-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*h₁l̥h₂-tós
  9. Ancient Greekἐλᾰστός (elăstós)
  10. New Latinelasticu
  11. Frenchélastique
  12. Englishelastic
  13. Englishinelastic

From in- + elastic.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian нееластичен
  • нееластичен (neelastičen)lacking elasticity
Catalan inelàstic
  • inelàsticlacking elasticity
Dutch inelastisch
  • inelastischlacking elasticity
Finnish kimmoton, epäelastinen
  • kimmotonlacking elasticity
  • epäelastinenlacking elasticity
French inélastique
  • inélastiquelacking elasticity
Greek ανελαστικός
  • ανελαστικός (anelastikós)lacking elasticity
Italian anelastico
  • anelasticolacking elasticity
Norwegian Bokmål uelastisk
  • uelastisklacking elasticity
Polish nieelastyczny
  • nieelastycznylacking elasticity
Romanian neelastic
  • neelasticlacking elasticity
Spanish inelástico
  • inelásticolacking elasticity
Tagalog diigkasin
  • diigkasinlacking elasticity
Welsh anelastig
  • anelastiglacking elasticity

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with inelastic

All rhymes →

Anagrams

Cite this entry
APA

inelastic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inelastic

MLA

“inelastic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inelastic. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inelastic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inelastic.

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