inertially

1 8.4

Keep moving the same way unless a force changes it

adverb
/ɪˈnɜrʃəli/

Specialized

: inercialmente

The object moved inertially after the initial push.

Examples

After the engine stopped, the car continued to roll inertially down the hill.
The satellite moved inertially through space once it left Earth's atmosphere.
Particles in the experiment drifted inertially until acted upon by another force.
When released, the ball will fall inertially under gravity.
The satellite orbits around the Earth inertially, providing clear images without active propulsion.
In physics class, we learned that objects at rest remain at rest unless acted upon by an external force, meaning they move inertially.
During the experiment, the balls rolled inertially down the slope, illustrating the principles of motion.

Surface Forms

inertially positive

Morphology

inertially = inertial + inert (transparent) = inert + ial + ly

Standard adverb formation from the adjective 'inertial' (inert + -ial) with a directly predictable meaning.

Etymology

The word inertially comes from inertia, an old word meaning 'not moving', and it shares the same root as inert. So, to act inertially is to move or stay still because of inertia, that is, to keep going the same way unless another force changes it.