Engineering English
Shear Force
Engineering Fundamentals · Civil Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Shear force is the internal force acting parallel to the cross-section of a structural member. It is a critical quantity in beam analysis and design.
Example in context
“The shear force diagram shows how the internal shear varies along the length of the beam under the applied loads.”
“Kesme kuvveti diyagramı, uygulanan yükler altında kiriş boyunca iç kesmenin nasıl değiştiğini gösterir.”
Where engineers use it
Shear force is essential in structural analysis for beams and frames. Engineers calculate it to design adequate cross-sections and reinforcement, especially near supports and point loads.
Synonyms: shear
In Civil Engineering
The internal force acting parallel to a member's cross section that tends to make adjacent parts of the member slide past each other.
“The shear force is largest near the supports, so extra stirrups are placed in those regions.”
Practice: can you use “Shear Force” at work?
A student uses a structural analysis program to plot shear force diagrams for a simply supported beam with a uniform load. They must interpret the maximum value.
Show a model answer
“The shear force at the support must be calculated to ensure the beam's safety.”
“Shear Force” in 21 languages
| English | Shear Force |
|---|---|
| Turkish | kesme kuvveti |
| French | effort tranchant |
| German | Querkraft |
| Spanish | fuerza cortante |
| Chinese | 剪力 |
| Arabic | قوة القص |
| Portuguese | força cortante |
| Russian | поперечная сила |
| Japanese | せん断力 |
| Italian | forza di taglio |
| Vietnamese | lực cắt |
| Hindi | कतरनी बल |
| Thai | แรงเฉือน |
| Indonesian | gaya geser |
| Korean | 전단력 |
| Bengali | শিয়ার বল |
| Dutch | dwarskracht |
| Swedish | tvärkraft |
| Finnish | leikkausvoima |
| Ukrainian | поперечна сила |
Frequently asked questions
What does Shear Force mean in engineering?
Shear force is the internal force acting parallel to the cross-section of a structural member. It is a critical quantity in beam analysis and design. In Engineering Fundamentals, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Shear Force?
Shear Force is pronounced /ʃɪər fɔːrs/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Shear Force used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The shear force diagram shows how the internal shear varies along the length of the beam under the applied loads.”
This entry is one of 7,806 terms in the Engineering English iOS app — with quizzes, spaced repetition and pronunciation checking.
Get the app on the App Store