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kinesiology

American  
[ki-nee-see-ol-uh-jee, -zee-, kahy-] / kɪˌni siˈɒl ə dʒi, -zi-, kaɪ- /

noun

  1. the science dealing with the interrelationship of the physiological processes and anatomy of the human body with respect to movement.


kinesiology British  
/ kɪˌniːsɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

  1. the study of the mechanics and anatomy of human muscles

"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

Other Word Forms

  • kinesiologist noun

Etymology

Origin of kinesiology

First recorded in 1890–95; from Greek kī́nēsi(s) “movement” ( kinesis ) + -o- + -logy

Explanation

Kinesiology is the study of human movement. Students who study sports medicine in college will often take classes in kinesiology. Studying the way the human body moves, how it's affected by movement, and the ways it's prone to being hurt by movement all fall under the label of kinesiology. Physical education teachers, coaches, physical therapists, dancers — all of these people have an interest in kinesiology, because their jobs are directly connected to the movement of the human body. The word kinesiology comes from a Greek root word, kinesis, "motion or movement."

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Vocabulary lists containing kinesiology

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Scientific data on whether bigger runners benefit more from modern spikes is scant, said Wouter Hoogkamer, an associate professor of kinesiology at UMass Amherst who has published numerous papers on super shoes.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 1, 2025

Finishing his kinesiology degree at Texas Christian University in April was the point when he decided it was time to move into the professional ranks.

From BBC • Jan. 13, 2025

Nava said his friend was a skateboarder who studied kinesiology at Pasadena City College.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2024

“Then today I woke up feeling fairly close to normal,” Scheffler said, still wearing a few strips of black kinesiology tape on his neck.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 17, 2024

I’ve got three-quarters of a degree in environmental studies, one year of kinesiology, and a half-written one-act play.

From Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Doctorow, Cory