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
Examples of centripetal in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
St James’ Park is a centripetal edifice, looming over everything and everyone.
—
George Caulkin, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
Abiy’s fundamental challenge is that the centrifugal forces in Ethiopia have grown stronger than the centripetal ones.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2021
The pneumatic actuators helped achieve the high power density required to tuck quickly under high centripetal loads, and the 80-20 aluminum construction made for easy adjustment and repair.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 May 2018
Both protagonists have, in effect, centrifugal and centripetal conflicts.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for centripetal
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George Caulkin, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
Abiy’s fundamental challenge is that the centrifugal forces in Ethiopia have grown stronger than the centripetal ones.
—Nic Cheeseman, Foreign Affairs, 5 Nov. 2021
The pneumatic actuators helped achieve the high power density required to tuck quickly under high centripetal loads, and the 80-20 aluminum construction made for easy adjustment and repair.
—IEEE Spectrum, 22 May 2018
Both protagonists have, in effect, centrifugal and centripetal conflicts.
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for centripetal
Cite this Entry
“Centripetal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/centripetal. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
centripetal
adjective
cen·trip·e·tal
sen-ˈtrip-ət-ᵊl
: proceeding or acting in a direction toward a center or axis
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
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