Static means unchanging or staying the same over time. A static situation doesn't evolve or develop: it just sits there. If your test scores remain static all semester, they're neither improving nor getting worse. If the population of a town stays static for decades, the same number of people live there year after year.

The word carries a sense of stillness that can be either neutral or slightly negative, depending on context. A static display in a museum just sits behind glass, while an interactive exhibit lets you touch and explore. When a relationship becomes static, it means the people aren't growing closer or learning new things about each other.

Static can also mean a kind of crackling interference you hear on radios or see on old TV screens, those random pops and hisses that obscure the signal you actually want. This type of static comes from random electrical disturbances in the atmosphere or equipment.

In science, static electricity is the buildup of electrical charge on a surface. When you shuffle across carpet and shock someone's hand, or when your hair stands up after pulling off a wool sweater, that's static electricity at work.