inelastic

C2+ Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪk/ UK /ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪk/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

adj
not flexible, or not changing much in response to change

Demand for the medicine proved remarkably inelastic to price rises.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · not flexible, or not... rigid stiff inflexible unyieldingunbending

Opposites

elastic flexible pliablestretchy

Word family

Derived forms inelasticallyinelasticity

Related forms elastic elasticity

Etymology

From in- ('not') + elastic, from New Latin elasticus, from Late Greek elastikos ('propulsive'), from Greek elaunein ('to drive, set in motion').

elastikos Ancient Greek elaunein Ancient Greek

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# inelastic

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** /ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪk/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪk/

## Meanings
1. not flexible, or not changing much in response to change

## Examples
- Demand for the medicine proved remarkably inelastic to price rises.

## Synonyms
- rigid
- stiff
- inflexible
- unyielding
- unbending

## Antonyms
- elastic
- flexible
- pliable
- stretchy

## Derived Forms
- inelastically
- inelasticity

## Related Forms
- elastic
- elasticity

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: elastikos
- Root: elaunein

## Etymology
From in- ('not') + elastic, from New Latin elasticus, from Late Greek elastikos ('propulsive'), from Greek elaunein ('to drive, set in motion').

## AI Etymology
inelastic comes from in- ('not') + elastic, from New Latin elasticus, from Late Greek elastikos ('propulsive'), from Greek elaunein ('to drive, set in motion'). Morphologically, the prefixed shape matters: the initial element belongs to the recorded formation and helps explain the modern form's surface analysis. In present English, the adjective sense is "not flexible, or not changing much in response to change", so the historical development ends in a clearly identifiable modern dictionary use. The same base also appears in related forms such as elastic and elasticity, and in derivatives such as inelastically and inelasticity. Its semantic neighborhood includes rigid, stiff, inflexible, and unyielding, which helps locate the modern sense without adding a separate etymological claim. The named historical forms include Ancient Greek elastikos and Ancient Greek elaunein.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Word Formation & Derivatives

markdown