inelastic
gb/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk/ us/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk/
C1
English
rugalmatlan
C1
BUSINESS
1
rugalmatlan
C1
Usage pattern:
[demand/supply/market] is inelastic; inelastic [demand/supply]
Demand for basic medicines is usually inelastic because patients need them regardless of price.
Az alapvető gyógyszerek iránti kereslet általában rugalmatlan, mert a betegeknek az ártól függetlenül szükségük van rájuk.
The company sells a product with relatively inelastic demand, so sales do not fall much when prices rise.
A vállalat olyan terméket árul, amelynek a kereslete viszonylag rugalmatlan, ezért az eladások nem esnek vissza jelentősen, amikor emelkednek az árak.
Supply can be inelastic in the short term if factories cannot quickly increase production.
Learner examples
Gasoline demand is often inelastic.
A benzin iránti kereslet gyakran rugalmatlan.
If the price rises, people may still buy an inelastic product.
Ha az ár emelkedik, az emberek akkor is megvehetnek egy olyan terméket, amelynek rugalmatlan a kereslete.
Common mistake:
In economics, inelastic does not mean the price cannot change; it means the quantity bought or supplied changes little in response.
Meaning
low response to price changes
Collocations
inelastic demand
|inelastic supply
|relatively inelastic
|highly inelastic
|perfectly inelastic
|price-inelastic goods
|inelastic market
|income-inelastic demand
|demand is inelastic
|supply is inelastic
Synonyms
price-insensitive (More specific; refers to weak response to price changes.)
|
unresponsive (More general and less technical.)
Antonyms
elastic (Changes noticeably when price or another factor changes.)
|
price-sensitive (Responds strongly to price changes.)
Themes
economics
|business
|markets
|prices
Definition
If demand or supply is inelastic, it changes very little when the price changes.
In economics, changing only slightly, or not at all, when price, income, or another relevant market factor changes; used especially of demand or supply.
C1
2
rugalmatlan
B2
Usage pattern:
inelastic [material/fabric/tissue]
The old rubber had become hard and inelastic.
A régi gumi keménnyé és rugalmatlanná vált.
These inelastic fibers make the fabric strong but uncomfortable.
Ezek a rugalmatlan szálak erőssé, de kényelmetlenné teszik az anyagot.
Scar tissue can be less flexible and more inelastic than normal skin.
Learner examples
This fabric is inelastic, so it feels tight.
Ez az anyag rugalmatlan, ezért szorosnak érződik.
The band is old and inelastic.
A pánt régi és rugalmatlan.
Common mistake:
Use elastic or stretchy for something that stretches; unelastic is rare in modern English.
Meaning
not stretchy or springy
Collocations
inelastic material
|inelastic fabric
|inelastic fibers
|inelastic rubber
|inelastic tissue
|inelastic skin
|inelastic surface
|inelastic deformation
Synonyms
nonstretchy (Plain and informal; emphasizes not stretching.)
|
stiff (Often means hard to bend or move, not necessarily unable to spring back.)
|
rigid (Stronger; suggests very little bending or flexibility.)
Antonyms
elastic (Able to stretch and return to its shape.)
|
stretchy (Informal and common for fabric or clothing.)
|
springy (Emphasizes bouncing or returning quickly to shape.)
Themes
materials
|science
|daily_life
Definition
Something inelastic does not stretch well or does not spring back into shape.
Not able to stretch easily or to return to its original shape after being stretched, compressed, or bent.
C1
TECHNICAL
3
rugalmatlan
C1
Usage pattern:
inelastic [collision/interaction/scattering]
In an inelastic collision, the two carts moved together after impact.
Rugalmatlan ütközés esetén a két kiskocsi az ütközés után együtt mozgott.
Some of the kinetic energy in the crash was converted into heat and sound, making the collision inelastic.
Az ütközésben a mozgási energia egy része hővé és hanggá alakult, ezért az ütközés rugalmatlan volt.
Physicists studied inelastic scattering to learn how the particles exchanged energy.
Learner examples
A car crash is usually an inelastic collision.
Az autóbaleset általában rugalmatlan ütközésnek számít.
In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is lost.
Rugalmatlan ütközésben a mozgási energia nem marad meg.
Common mistake:
An inelastic collision does not mean momentum disappears; in an isolated system, momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not.
Meaning
losing kinetic energy
Collocations
inelastic collision
|perfectly inelastic collision
|inelastic scattering
|inelastic interaction
|inelastic process
|inelastic impact
|inelastic energy loss
Synonyms
energy-dissipating (Technical; emphasizes energy being converted into other forms.)
|
nonelastic (Less common; used when contrasting with elastic behavior.)
Antonyms
elastic (Describes a collision in which total kinetic energy is conserved.)
Themes
physics
|science
|energy
Definition
In physics, an inelastic collision loses some kinetic energy to other forms of energy.
In physics, describing a collision or interaction in which kinetic energy is not conserved because some energy changes into heat, sound, deformation, or another form.
C1
FORMAL
4
rugalmatlan
C1
Usage pattern:
inelastic [system/rule/schedule/structure]
The agency struggled with an inelastic hiring process that could not respond quickly to demand.
Az ügynökség nehezen boldogult egy rugalmatlan toborzási folyamattal, amely nem tudott gyorsan reagálni az igényekre.
An inelastic schedule leaves little room for unexpected delays.
Egy rugalmatlan időbeosztás kevés mozgásteret hagy a váratlan késéseknek.
Small organizations can suffer when inelastic costs take up most of the budget.
Learner examples
The schedule was too inelastic to change.
Az időbeosztás túl rugalmatlan volt ahhoz, hogy változtatni lehessen rajta.
Their system is inelastic and slow.
A rendszerük rugalmatlan és lassú.
Common mistake:
For people, rules, or schedules, inflexible is usually more natural in everyday English than inelastic.
Meaning
not flexible or adaptable
Collocations
inelastic system
|inelastic rules
|inelastic schedule
|inelastic structure
|inelastic budget
|inelastic costs
|inelastic institutions
Synonyms
inflexible (More common in everyday English.)
|
rigid (Stronger; suggests strictness or resistance to change.)
|
unadaptable (Emphasizes inability to adjust to new conditions.)
Antonyms
flexible (Able to change or adapt easily.)
|
adaptable (Able to adjust to new situations.)
Themes
organizations
|planning
|policy
Definition
An inelastic plan or system is hard to change.
Not easily changed, expanded, or adapted to new conditions; rigid or inflexible.
Grammar
Dictionary form
inelastic
IPA
GB/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk/
US/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk/
Syllables & stress
in - elast - ic (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (ic)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: inelastic
Expressions
inelastic collision
1/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk kəlˈɪʒən/
fixed phrase
technical
collision losing kinetic energy
A physics collision where some kinetic energy becomes heat, sound, or deformation.
Examples
- A car crash is an inelastic collision because energy goes into bending metal, heat, and sound.
- The students measured an inelastic collision between two carts in the lab.
- In an inelastic collision, the objects may move more slowly after impact.
Learner examples
- The crash was an inelastic collision.
- An inelastic collision loses kinetic energy.
inelastic demand
1/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk dɪmˈænd/
fixed phrase
business
demand barely affected by price
People buy almost the same amount even when the price changes.
Examples
- Because insulin is essential, demand for it is highly inelastic.
- The tax raised prices, but inelastic demand meant customers bought nearly the same amount.
- Luxury goods usually have less inelastic demand than basic necessities.
Learner examples
- Medicine often has inelastic demand.
- With inelastic demand, higher prices do not reduce sales much.
inelastic scattering
1/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk skˈætɚɪŋ/
fixed phrase
technical
scattering with energy transfer
A particle-scattering event where energy is transferred during the interaction.
Examples
- Inelastic scattering experiments revealed details about the material's atomic vibrations.
- The detector measured how much energy the electrons lost during inelastic scattering.
- Researchers used inelastic neutron scattering to study the structure of the sample.
inelastic supply
1/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk səplˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
business
supply barely affected by price
The amount sellers can provide changes very little when the price changes.
Examples
- Housing supply is often inelastic in cities with strict zoning laws.
- Farm output may be inelastic within a season because crops have already been planted.
- When supply is inelastic, a sudden increase in demand can push prices sharply higher.
Learner examples
- Housing can have inelastic supply.
- If supply is inelastic, sellers cannot quickly make more.
perfectly inelastic
1/pˈɚfəktli ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk/
fixed phrase
technical
completely unresponsive to price
The quantity does not change at all when the price changes.
Examples
- In a textbook graph, perfectly inelastic demand is shown as a vertical demand curve.
- Emergency medical treatment may be close to perfectly inelastic for some patients.
- Perfectly inelastic supply means producers cannot increase output no matter how high the price rises.
Learner examples
- Perfectly inelastic demand does not change when the price changes.
- A vertical supply curve is perfectly inelastic.
perfectly inelastic collision
1/pˈɚfəktli ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk kəlˈɪʒən/
fixed phrase
technical
collision where objects stick
A collision where the objects stick together and move as one after they hit.
Examples
- When the clay ball hit the cart and stuck to it, the impact was a perfectly inelastic collision.
- The two lab carts locked together after the crash, creating a perfectly inelastic collision.
- Students used conservation of momentum to find the final speed after a perfectly inelastic collision.
Learner examples
- The two objects stuck together in a perfectly inelastic collision.
- After a perfectly inelastic collision, they move with the same speed.