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inertie

inertia, sluggishness

noun ee-nair-SEE Rare
Mind & Emotions Mental States

Origin: From Latin inertia (idleness), from iners (idle, unskilled).

Also means

inertness (physics)

Usage Note

Inertie covers both the physics concept (Newton's law of inertia is le principe d'inertie) and the everyday sense of passive resistance to change or action — l'inertie bureaucratique (bureaucratic inertia). The adjective inerte means inert or motionless. Often used critically in political or social commentary.

Examples

"L'inertie du gouvernement face à la crise choquait."

Natural Translation

The government's inertia in the face of the crisis was shocking.

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