dynamic

[ dahy-nam-ik ]

/ daɪˈnæm ɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR dynamic ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective Also dy·nam·i·cal.

pertaining to or characterized by energy or effective action; vigorously active or forceful; energetic: the dynamic president of the firm.

Physics.

of or relating to force or power.
of or relating to force related to motion.

pertaining to the science of dynamics.

of or relating to the range of volume of musical sound.

Computers. (of data storage, processing, or programming) affected by the passage of time or the presence or absence of power: Dynamic memory must be constantly refreshed to avoid losing data. Dynamic websites contain Web pages that are generated in real time.

Grammar. nonstative.

noun

a basic or dynamic force, especially one that motivates, affects development or stability, etc.

Nearby words

Origin of dynamic

1810–20; < French dynamique < Greek dynamikós, equivalent to dýnam(is) force, power + -ikos -ic

Related forms

dy·nam·i·cal·ly, adverbnon·dy·nam·ic, adjectivenon·dy·nam·i·cal, adjectivenon·dy·nam·i·cal·ly, adverb

un·dy·nam·ic, adjectiveun·dy·nam·i·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for dynamical

But historical geology alone could never have led to the dynamical phase of modern biology.
The Story of the Living Machine|H. W. Conn
It is difficult, says Sir John Herschell, to form any conception of the dynamical state of such systems.
Eureka:|Edgar A. Poe
We need not, therefore, be surprised if this Christian view of nature and a dynamical physiology evince so little of agreement.
The philosophy of life, and philosophy of language, in a course of lectures|Frederick von Schlegel
The club falls with a frightful crash, but its dynamical effect is not calculated beforehand in kilogrammetres.
Morals and the Evolution of Man|Max Simon Nordau

The Divine life infinitely transcends the dynamical life of the universe.
The Theistic Conception of the World|B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Cocker

British Dictionary definitions for dynamical

dynamic

/ (daɪˈnæmɪk) /

adjective

of or concerned with energy or forces that produce motion, as opposed to static

of or concerned with dynamics

Also: dynamical characterized by force of personality, ambition, energy, new ideas, etc

music of, relating to, or indicating dynamicsdynamic marks

computing (of a memory) needing its contents refreshed periodicallyCompare static (def. 8)

Derived Formsdynamically, adverb

Word Origin for dynamic

C19: from French dynamique, from Greek dunamikos powerful, from dunamis power, from dunasthai to be able

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dynamical (1 of 2)

dynamic

adj.

1817 as a term in philosophy; 1827 in the sense "pertaining to force producing motion" (the opposite of static), from French dynamique introduced by German mathematician Gottfried Leibnitz (1646-1716) in 1691 from Greek dynamikos "powerful," from dynamis "power," from dynasthai "to be able, to have power, be strong enough," of unknown origin. The figurative sense of "active, potent, energetic" is from 1856 (in Emerson). Related: Dynamically.