inelastic
gb/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk/ us/ˌɪnəlˈæstɪk/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
adjective
business
C1
property
1
low response to price changes
If demand or supply is inelastic, it changes very little when the price changes.
Usage pattern:
[demand/supply/market] is inelastic; inelastic [demand/supply]
Common mistake:
In economics, inelastic does not mean the price cannot change; it means the quantity bought or supplied changes little in response.
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.)
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
Themes
economics
|business
|markets
|prices
Examples
- Demand for basic medicines is usually inelastic because patients need them regardless of price.
- The company sells a product with relatively inelastic demand, so sales do not fall much when prices rise.
- Supply can be inelastic in the short term if factories cannot quickly increase production.
Learner examples
- Gasoline demand is often inelastic.
- If the price rises, people may still buy an inelastic product.
adjective
C1
property
2
not stretchy or springy
Something inelastic does not stretch well or does not spring back into shape.
Usage pattern:
inelastic [material/fabric/tissue]
Common mistake:
Use elastic or stretchy for something that stretches; unelastic is rare in modern English.
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.)
Collocations
inelastic material
|inelastic fabric
|inelastic fibers
|inelastic rubber
|inelastic tissue
|inelastic skin
|inelastic surface
|inelastic deformation
Themes
materials
|science
|daily_life
Examples
- The old rubber had become hard and inelastic.
- These inelastic fibers make the fabric strong but uncomfortable.
- Scar tissue can be less flexible and more inelastic than normal skin.
Learner examples
- This fabric is inelastic, so it feels tight.
- The band is old and inelastic.
adjective
technical
C1
property
3
losing kinetic energy
In physics, an inelastic collision loses some kinetic energy to other forms of energy.
Usage pattern:
inelastic [collision/interaction/scattering]
Common mistake:
An inelastic collision does not mean momentum disappears; in an isolated system, momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not.
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.)
Collocations
inelastic collision
|perfectly inelastic collision
|inelastic scattering
|inelastic interaction
|inelastic process
|inelastic impact
|inelastic energy loss
Themes
physics
|science
|energy
Examples
- In an inelastic collision, the two carts moved together after impact.
- Some of the kinetic energy in the crash was converted into heat and sound, making the collision inelastic.
- Physicists studied inelastic scattering to learn how the particles exchanged energy.
Learner examples
- A car crash is usually an inelastic collision.
- In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is lost.
adjective
formal
C1
property
4
not flexible or adaptable
An inelastic plan or system is hard to change.
Usage pattern:
inelastic [system/rule/schedule/structure]
Common mistake:
For people, rules, or schedules, inflexible is usually more natural in everyday English than inelastic.
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.)
Collocations
inelastic system
|inelastic rules
|inelastic schedule
|inelastic structure
|inelastic budget
|inelastic costs
|inelastic institutions
Themes
organizations
|planning
|policy
Examples
- The agency struggled with an inelastic hiring process that could not respond quickly to demand.
- An inelastic schedule leaves little room for unexpected delays.
- Small organizations can suffer when inelastic costs take up most of the budget.
Learner examples
- The schedule was too inelastic to change.
- Their system is inelastic and slow.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.