Especially the phenomenon in which the magnetic induction of a ferromagnetic material lags behind the changing magnetic field

• The lagging of an effect behind its cause

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1805, from Greek hysteresis "a coming short, a deficiency."

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Hysteresis \Hys`te*re"sis\, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ? to be behind, to lag.] (Physics) A lagging or retardation of the effect, when the forces acting upon a body are changed, as if from velocity or internal friction; a temporary resistance to change from a condition ...

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
In economics , hysteresis refers to the possibility that periods of high unemployment tend to increase the rate-of-unemployment-below-which-inflation-begins-to-accelerate, commonly referred to as the natural rate of unemployment or non-accelerating inflation ...

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. the lagging of an effect behind its cause; especially the phenomenon in which the magnetic induction of a ferromagnetic material lags behind the changing magnetic field

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. A property of a system such that an output value is not a strict function of the corresponding input, but also incorporates some lag, delay, or history dependence, and in particular when the response for a decrease in the input variable is different ...