kinetic
1 Americanadjective
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pertaining to motion.
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caused by motion.
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characterized by movement.
Running and dancing are kinetic activities.
adjective
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
Compare meaning
How does kinetic compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
That is, kinetic energy destroys the incoming warhead.
From BBC
The finding provides strong evidence that a kinetic impactor could be used as a planetary defense method to redirect a potentially hazardous near-Earth object.
From Science Daily
Antidrone technologies include tracking, GPS jamming, lasers, and conventional “kinetic” projectiles.
From Barron's
"The longer the activity gap persists, the more concerned I will be about broader implications, but I have not seen any indications that the PRC is preparing for any major kinetic action," Lewis told AFP.
From Barron's
“Without an agreement and a fast cessation of all kinetic activity, the crude market will begin to break in days, and not in weeks or months,” the analysts added.
From Barron's
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
