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kinetic

adjective
ki·​net·​ic | \ kə-ˈne-tik also kÄ«- How to pronounce kinetic (audio) \

Definition of kinetic

1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith
2a : active, lively
b : dynamic, energizing a kinetic performer
3 : of or relating to kinetic art
Other Words from kinetic Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about kinetic

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Other Words from kinetic

kinetically \ kə-​ˈne-​ti-​k(ə-​)lē How to pronounce kinetically (audio) also  kÄ«-​ \ adverb

Did You Know?

Kinetic comes from the Greek word kinētikos, meaning "of motion, which in turn traces to the verb kinein, meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word cinema can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek kinēma, meaning "movement, to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinĂ©matographe." "CinĂ©matographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word cinematograph, of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.

Examples of kinetic in a Sentence

the novel's plot is kinetic and fast-paced, and its effect on the reader is much like that of a surfeit of caffeine the loft district is the locus of the city's kinetic arts scene

Recent Examples on the Web

 Women will wear Plexiglas cloche hats and tube clothing; men will wear elliptical pants and kinetic tunics. — Jason Farago, New York Times, "Back to the Future With Pierre Cardin’s Space-Age Fashion," 22 Aug. 2019 Case in point: sculptor Michael MacMillan, whose bold, kinetic pieces take pride of place in several prominent locations in Nelson and in numerous private and public collections. — Fortune, "New Zealand’s Hottest Destination Is One You’ve Likely Never Heard Of," 18 Aug. 2019 The size and distribution of the spots therefore depends on kinetic factors such as how quickly each of the molecules diffuses. — Quanta Magazine, "For Embryo’s Cells, Size Can Determine Fate," 12 Aug. 2019 Each Brixel is controlled through an app and can rotate on command to a specific position, one-upping the regular old brick by turning a facade into a kinetic surface. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Say hello to ‘Brixel’, 2018’s answer to the brick," 16 Oct. 2018 This would be much more effective against large numbers of drones than jammers or even kinetic weapons like machine guns. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "The U.S. Army Wants To Microwave Drones in Midair," 13 Aug. 2019 Caius Martius, the titular hero, played with cerebral, kinetic aplomb by the excellent Jonathan Cake, has McCain’s aversion to conventional manners and Bush’s hapless common touch. — Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, "Endgames in “Sea Wall/A Life” and “Coriolanus”," 12 Aug. 2019 Further Reading With Darkness on the Edge of Town, the Stranger Things expanded universe begins Perhaps best of all, Stranger Things seems a little more kinetic this go-round. — Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica, "Stranger Things without Spoiler Things: It’s dark, different, and still delightful," 1 July 2019 Those scenes are shot in a quick, kinetic fashion, though there's a somewhat numbing repetitive quality to many of them, the principal exception being a jaw-dropping skirmish that involves pursuing bad guys down the sheer side of a skyscraper. — Brian Lowry, CNN, "'Hobbs & Shaw' races into new lane under 'Fast & Furious' flag," 31 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'kinetic.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of kinetic

1864, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for kinetic

Greek kinētikos, from kinētos, from kinein — see -kinesis

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More Definitions for kinetic

kinetic

adjective
How to pronounce kinetic (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of kinetic

: of or relating to the movement of physical objects

See the full definition for kinetic in the English Language Learners Dictionary

kinetic

adjective
ki·​net·​ic | \ kə-ˈne-tik How to pronounce kinetic (audio) , kÄ«-\

Kids Definition of kinetic

: relating to the motions of objects and the forces associated with them kinetic energy

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