noun
rigidity
ri-JID-uh-tee/rɪˈdʒɪdəti/
The condition of resisting bending.
The metal strip's rigidity keeps it straight under the weight.
Etymology
The underlying image is something stiff and resistant to bending. Applied to attitudes or behavior, that physical inflexibility becomes an unwillingness to change.
In context
its center of rigidity, the point around which it naturally wants to resist twisting.
More examples
- A thicker sheet of plastic has greater rigidity.
- The engineer tests the beam's rigidity under a heavy load.
- These thin panels lack the rigidity needed to support the shelf.
Forms
rigid adjective — Stiff and difficult to bend or flex.
Similar words
- stiffness
- Stiffness is the more everyday term for resistance to bending.
- inflexibility
- Inflexibility emphasizes an inability to bend rather than relative resistance.