inertia
|in-er-tia|
🇺🇸
/ɪˈnɜːrʃə/
🇬🇧
/ɪˈnɜːʃə/
resistance to change
Etymology
'inertia' originates from Latin, specifically the word 'iners,' where 'in-' meant 'not' and 'ars' meant 'skill or art.'
'iners' transformed into the Medieval Latin word 'inertia,' and eventually became the modern English word 'inertia.'
Initially, it meant 'lack of skill or art,' but over time it evolved into its current meaning of 'resistance to change.'
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.
The company's inertia in adopting new technologies led to its decline.
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Noun 2
in physics, the resistance of any physical object to any change in its velocity.
The inertia of the car made it difficult to stop quickly.
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Last updated: 2025/01/11 11:39