Word
inertial
Phoneticsin·er·tial
US/ˌɪˈnɝʃəɫ/
UK/ɪnˈɜːʃəl/
Definition
adj. describing something that stays in its current state of motion or rest unless a force acts on it. It is a physics term for the property of matter that resists changes in speed or direction.
adj. relating to the property of matter that resists changes in its state of motion. Often used in physics to describe the tendency of an object to maintain its velocity unless acted upon by an external force.
Examples
“The ball has an inertial force that keeps it moving.”
“When the car stops suddenly, the passengers continue moving forward due to their own inertial mass.”
“The spacecraft's trajectory is determined by its inertial momentum, which must be precisely calculated to ensure a successful rendezvous with the orbiting station.”
Examples
simple
“The ball has an inertial force that keeps it moving.”
contextual
“When the car stops suddenly, the passengers continue moving forward due to their own inertial mass.”
complex
“The spacecraft's trajectory is determined by its inertial momentum, which must be precisely calculated to ensure a successful rendezvous with the orbiting station.”
Real-World Examples
“A very large animal can stay warm simply because its bulk loses heat slowly, a phenomenon called inertial homeothermy, or gigantothermy.” “It was remarkable at that time, as it was done using only inertial navigation, as there was no GPS.”
Léna distinctly remembers the experience of entering the shadow of the eclipse.” Etymology
From inertia + -al.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
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englishreference.com/q/inertial