centripetal

English

Etymology

From New Latin centripetālis coined by Sir Isaac Newton, from Latin centrum (“center”) + petō (“to seek, aim”) +‎ -al. Analysable as centri- +‎ -petal.

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /sɛnˈtɹɪpətl̩/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌsɛntɹɪˈpiːtl̩/, (rare) /sɛnˈtɹɪpətl̩/

Adjective

centripetal (not comparable)

1. Directed or moving towards a centre.
2. Of, relating to, or operated by centripetal force.
   • 1988, Tsitsi Dangarembga, Nervous Conditions, Faber & Faber Limited (2021), page 141:

     It was a centripetal time, with me at the centre, everything gravitating towards me.

3. (neuroanatomy, of a nerve impulse) Directed towards the central nervous system; afferent.

Antonyms

• centrifugal

Derived terms

• centripetal force
• centripetalism
• centripetally
• subcentripetal

 

Translations

directed or moving towards a centre

• Armenian: կենտրոնաձիգ (hy) (kentronajig)
• Azerbaijani: mərkəzəqaçma
• Bulgarian: центростремителен (centrostremitelen)
• Catalan: centrípet m
• Czech: dostředivý m
• Finnish: sentripetaalinen (fi), keskihakuinen (fi)
• French: centripète (fr)
• German: zentripetal (de)
• Irish: láraimsitheach
• Russian: центростремительный (ru) (centrostremitelʹnyj)
• Spanish: centrípeto (es)
• Welsh: canolgyrchol

of, relating to, or operated by centripetal force

• Armenian: կենտրոնաձիգ (hy) (kentronajig)
• Azerbaijani: mərkəzəqaçma
• Catalan: centrípet m
• Greek: κεντρομόλος (el) (kentromólos)

directed towards the central nervous system

• Armenian: կենտրոնաձիգ (hy) (kentronajig)
• Catalan: centrípet m
• Finnish: keskihakuinen (fi)
• Spanish: centrípeto (es)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from German zentripetal. By surface analysis, centripet +‎ -al.

Adjective

centripetal m or n (feminine singular centripetală, masculine plural centripetali, feminine and neuter plural centripetale)

1. centripetal

Declension

Declension of centripetal

		singular			plural
		masculine	neuter	feminine	masculine	neuter	feminine
nominative/ accusative	indefinite	centripetal		centripetală	centripetali	centripetale
	definite	centripetalul		centripetala	centripetalii	centripetalele
genitive/ dative	indefinite	centripetal		centripetale	centripetali	centripetale
	definite	centripetalului		centripetalei	centripetalilor	centripetalelor