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Meaning & use

static

adjective, noun·Academic

Last updated

UK/ˈstætɪk/
US/ˈstætɪk/

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparable

    Staying the same, without moving, changing or growing.

    Grammar: Used before a noun or after be: a static image, the market stayed static.

    Patterns

    • remain static
    • a static situation

    House prices have remained static for the past two years.

    The picture was static, with no movement at all.

    Language is never static; it keeps changing.

  2. noununcountable

    Crackling noise that spoils a radio, telephone or television signal.

    Grammar: No plural and no a: there was static on the line.

    Patterns

    • static on the line
    • hear static

    I could hear only static on the old radio.

    The call broke up in a burst of static.

    The screen filled with static after the storm.

  3. noununcountableinformal

    Electricity that gathers on an object and causes small shocks or clinging, such as on clothes.

    Grammar: Short for static electricity: my hair is full of static.

    Patterns

    • full of static
    • static cling

    My sweater was full of static after coming out of the dryer.

    She got a small shock from the static on the doorknob.

    Static made her hair stand up.

  4. noununcountableinformal

    Angry criticism or objections from other people.

    Grammar: Used in the phrase get static from someone.

    Patterns

    • get static from someone
    • give someone static

    She got a lot of static from her boss about the delay.

    He gave me static for being late again.

    The new plan drew some static from the neighbors.

Word forms

comparativemore static
superlativemost static

Common combinations

static electricity
Rubbing the balloon creates static electricity.
remain static
Wages have remained static for years.
static image
The video froze on a static image.
radio static
A burst of radio static interrupted the news.
static cling
These socks suffer from static cling.

Synonyms and how they differ

stationary
Stationary means not moving at all, while static can also mean not changing or developing.
unchanging
Unchanging is a plain description of what stays the same, and does not have the technical feel of static.
stagnant
Stagnant adds a negative idea of being stuck or lifeless, as in a stagnant economy.
interference
Interference is the general term for anything spoiling a signal, and static is one kind of it.

Opposites

dynamicchangingmobile

Word family

statically adverb
in a way that does not change or move
statics noun
the branch of physics about forces in balance
stasis noun
a state in which nothing changes
statistic noun
a number that describes data, from a different root

Commonly confused: static or stationary? static or ecstatic?

static vs stationary

Stationary means not moving and is spelled with -ary; stationery with -ery means paper and pens.

static vs ecstatic

Ecstatic ends in the same letters but means extremely happy.

Practice

The economy has been ____ for months, with no growth and no decline.

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