<p>The nonlinear inerter that generates nonlinear inertial force has proven effective in enhancing structural vibration control, such as in nonlinear inerter-based vibration isolators. However, this technology has rarely been adopted in vibration absorbers, hindering the exploration of its potential benefits for vibration absorption. This study proposes a nonlinear inertia-enabled vibration absorber using a yoke-type inerter. The design and realization of the yoke-type inerter are briefly described, followed by the establishment and experimental validation of its mechanical model. A compact configuration of the yoke-type inerter-enabled nonlinear vibration absorber (YI-NVA) is then introduced. The transient responses of a single-degree-of-freedom oscillator equipped with the YI-NVA under impulsive loading are evaluated through numerical simulation. The absorbed and dissipated impulsive energy of the oscillator with YI-NVA is compared to that of an oscillator with linear inerter vibration absorber (LIVA) using an energy-based indicator. Analytical solutions for the steady-state responses of the oscillator with YI-NVA under harmonic excitation are derived using the complexification-averaging method and verified through the numerical integration. A comparative analysis of the oscillator with YI-NVA and that with LIVA is conducted for varying excitation amplitudes and absorber parameters. Under impulsive loading, the proposed YI-NVA absorbs and dissipates more impulsive energy from the primary oscillator than the LIVA across a wider range of the inertance-to-mass ratio. The oscillator with the YI-NVA also achieves a lower peak dynamic displacement amplitude, a broader control frequency band, and a lower stroke under harmonic excitation compared to the oscillator with LIVA across various absorber parameters. Overall, the proposed YI-NVA offers a more robust vibration absorption solution for enhanced vibration control than the classical LIVA.</p>