centripetal

adjective

cen·​trip·​e·​tal sen-ˈtri-pə-tᵊl 

1

: proceeding or acting in a direction toward a center or axis

centripetal acceleration of a body

2

: afferent

centripetal nerves

3

: tending toward centralization : unifying

centripetal factors that hold the parts together

centripetally

sen-ˈtri-pə-tə-lē 

adverb

Examples of centripetal in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Without a compelling and widely shared vision for the Ethiopian state, neither Abiy nor any potential successor will be able to prevent the centrifugal forces from overwhelming the centripetal ones. —Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2021

But this centripetal acceleration depends on both the angular velocity (ω) and the orbital distance (R). —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2021

An informed Mishima reader encounters a singular challenge: dragging Mishima’s work out of the shadow of his final act, with its centripetal pull on the imagination, to assess it on its own merits. —Deborah Treisman, The New Yorker, 27 Oct. 2024

Illustration: Rhett Allain The gravitational force makes the planet accelerate and move around in a circle (centripetal acceleration). —Rhett Allain, WIRED, 8 Mar. 2021

Word History

Etymology

New Latin centripetus, from centr- + Latin petere to go to, seek — more at feather

First Known Use

1705, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing centripetal

• centripetal force

Kids Definition

centripetal

adjective

cen·​trip·​e·​tal sen-ˈtrip-ət-ᵊl 

: proceeding or acting in a direction toward a center or axis

centripetally

-ət-ᵊl-ē 

adverb

Medical Definition

centripetal

adjective

cen·​trip·​e·​tal sen-ˈtrip-ət-ᵊl 

: passing inward (as from a sense organ to the brain or spinal cord) : afferent

centripetally

-ᵊl-ē 

adverb