kinetic

¹

[ki-net-ik, kahy-]

adjective

1. pertaining to motion.

2. caused by motion.

3. characterized by movement.

   Running and dancing are kinetic activities.

-kinetic

²

1. a combining form found on adjectives that correspond to nouns ending in -kinesia or -kinesis:

   bradykinetic.

kinetic

/ kaɪ-, kɪˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

1. relating to, characterized by, or caused by motion

Other Word Forms

• kinetically adverb
• nonkinetic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of kinetic¹

1850–55; < Greek kīnētikós moving, equivalent to kīnē- (verbid stem of kīneîn to move) + -tikos -tic

Origin of kinetic²

< Greek kīnēt ( ós ) ( kineto- ) + -ic

Word History and Origins

Origin of kinetic¹

C19: from Greek kinētikos, from kinein to move

Example Sentences

Kinetic antisatellite weapons — the kind that blow things up — make clouds that last decades.

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Kinetic antisatellite weapons — the kind that blow things up — make clouds that last decades.

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“It is breathtaking how broad this has been, the scale of it and the intensity of it all the way to kinetic warfare.”

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He brought both a rough male texture to his direction and a kinetic energy that matched the violence of life in medieval Japan.

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Del Toro delights in the kinetic gusto of the tale, the grotesquerie of cracking limbs and blood sloshing about Victor’s shoes.

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Related Words

• animated 
• lively 
• peppy 

When To Use

What does -kinetic mean?

The combining form -kinetic is used like a suffix meaning “of or relating to movement.” It is often used in medical terms, especially in pathology.The form -kinetic comes from Greek kīnēt(ós), meaning “moving,” from the verb kīneîn, “to move.” The Latin cognate of kīneîn is ciēre (stem cit-), meaning “to move, set in motion,” which is the source of words such as cite and resuscitate. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.What are variants of -kinetic?While there are not any variants of -kinetic, it is related to the forms -kinesis and -kinesia, as in telekinesis and hyperkinesia. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use articles about these two forms.