kinetic

¹ American  

[ki-net-ik, kahy-] / kɪˈnɛt ɪk, kaɪ- /

adjective

1. pertaining to motion.

2. caused by motion.

3. characterized by movement.

   Running and dancing are kinetic activities.

---

-kinetic ² American  

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

   bradykinetic.

---

kinetic British  

/ kaɪ-, kɪˈnɛtɪk /

adjective

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

---

Usage

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.

Other Word Forms

• kinetically adverb
• nonkinetic adjective

Etymology

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

Compare meaning

How does kinetic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• kinetic vs. potential energy

Explanation

If you marvel at the kinetic pace of popular cartoons, you are amazed at how lively and energetic the shows are. Kinetic comes from a Greek verb meaning "to move." Used generally, kinetic can simply mean "animated," "dynamic," or "lively," but it also has more specific meanings in the realms of art and science. Kinetic drawings, sculptures, and installations have moving parts. Alexander Calder's mobiles are well-known examples of kinetic art. In physics, the phrase "kinetic energy" is used to describe the energy of motion. Any object in motion possesses kinetic energy, and this energy can be harnessed, transferred, and transformed to do work: Think of wind turning turbines to generate electricity.

Example Sentences

The aim is to be bustlingly kinetic, but the feel is pure kindergarten: no logic, just jerky leaps from one gaming situation to the next, with characters and objects taking on whatever powers are needed.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

"The team's amazingly precise measurement again validates kinetic impact as a technique for defending Earth against asteroid hazards and shows how a binary asteroid might be deflected by impacting just one member of the pair."

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

"These results are really exciting, but we're still working to make them even faster while figuring out the kinetic limit of pyroelectric photodetectors."

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026

Observers say those forces remain insufficient for anything beyond a short campaign of a few weeks or a high-intensity kinetic strike.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 28, 2026

It keeps spinning faster—all that kinetic energy forced down the neck of the funnel until it’s blaring like an alarm—then it falls silent as it drops into the black abyss of the funnel.

From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• animated
• lively
• peppy