Showing results for "mechanics"

• plural of mechanic.

mechanics

American  

[muh-kan-iks] / məˈkæn ɪks /

noun

• mechanics
  plural

1. (used with a singular verb) the branch of physics that deals with the action of forces on bodies and with motion, comprised of kinetics, statics, and kinematics.

2. (used with a singular verb) the theoretical and practical application of this science to machinery, mechanical appliances, etc.

3. (usually used with a plural verb) the technical aspect or working part; mechanism; structure.

4. (usually used with a plural verb) routine or basic methods, procedures, techniques, or details.

   the mechanics of running an office; the mechanics of baseball.

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mechanics British  

/ mɪˈkænɪks /

noun

1. (functioning as singular) the branch of science, divided into statics, dynamics, and kinematics, concerned with the equilibrium or motion of bodies in a particular frame of reference See also quantum mechanics wave mechanics statistical mechanics

2. (functioning as singular) the science of designing, constructing, and operating machines

3. the working parts of a machine

4. the technical aspects of something

   the mechanics of poetic style

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mechanics Scientific  

/ mĭ-kăn′ĭks /

1. The branch of physics concerned with the relationships between matter, force, and energy, especially as they affect the motion of objects.

2. See also classical physics quantum mechanics

3. The functional aspect of a system, such as the mechanics of blood circulation.

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mechanics Cultural  

1. The branch of physics that deals with the motion of material objects. The term mechanics generally refers to the motion of large objects, whereas the study of motion at the level of the atom or smaller is the domain of quantum mechanics.

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The basic laws of mechanics are Newton's laws of motion.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• mechanics
  plural

Etymology

Origin of mechanics

First recorded in 1640–50; see origin at mechanic, -ics

Explanation

Mechanics is the science of things in motion. If you're a physicist and your specialty is mechanics, you most likely study the way physical bodies are affected by forces and how they affect their environment. Mechanics is one branch of physics — and some mathematicians are also focused on mechanics. You can divide this field of study into classical mechanics and quantum mechanics, but in either case it involves the study of motion and the forces that cause or result from motion. You can also use the noun mechanics when you talk about the inner workings or details of something, like the mechanics of baseball or the mechanics of the banking industry.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mechanics

My colleague Alex Galbraith recently argued that food may be where consumers most easily recognize the otherwise abstract mechanics of private equity.

From Salon ● Oct. 3, 2026

Those shops, including chains and mom-and-pop mechanics, are peeling ever more business away from dealerships, known for higher rates, opaque pricing and multiday waits for routine service.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

In a deeply reported article, Claudia Assis outlined the mechanics of the global refining market to explain why diesel prices remain stubbornly high and how that is affecting businesses.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Opened to one of its more elaborate spreads, the original prop is both beautifully crafted and deeply unsettling, its seemingly innocent children’s-book mechanics revealing a grinning black figure and the ominous command: “LET ME IN.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

This paper—which explained the photoelectric effect, brought quantum mechanics into the mainstream.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife