Meanings
comparative more inelastic · superlative most inelastic
- 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 Cup1 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 - 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 - USgovernmentResistant to swings during elections; predictable.
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Italic*n̥-
- Latinin-
- Middle Englishin-
- Englishin-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁elh₂-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₁l̥h₂-tós
- Ancient Greekἐλᾰστός (elăstós)
- New Latinelasticu
- Frenchélastique
- Englishelastic
- Englishinelastic
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
Anagrams
Cite this entry
inelastic. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inelastic
“inelastic.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inelastic. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “inelastic,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/inelastic.
Source: inelastic on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.